10 Times AEW Took It Too Far

2. Max Caster's Raps

Paige VanZant
AEW

Allowing a great promo artist to go out there and advance a story in their own words is one thing. It's actually crucial to fan investment, to getting over, to everything.

Allowing an entertaining guy with no clue where the line is free rein to say what he wants is quite another.

In a "Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made A Great Point" deal, Road Dogg, when explaining WWE's scripted promo model, said to Corey Graves on the After The Bell podcast in 2020 that fans can't "fathom" the idea that a guy might be a "loose cannon" who says a "cuss word or something".

"So we script his promo word for word now because we don't trust you yet".

While this scanned as hysterical WWE arrogance at the time, AEW's Max Caster has proven him right - somehow, on more than one occasion. After drawing outrage for stating that PRC tests were "fake", insinuating that the deadly pandemic was overstated, Max in the next breath made a horrendous rape joke. Caster was suspended for this 2021 promo, and Tony Khan promised to tightly edit Dark in future, where he hadn't previously - but Caster continues to say ill-advised sh*t well into 2022.

Mocking Hunter Biden's addiction issues and "dunking" on Amber Heard in particular is big yikes sh*t. The indirect ramifications of the reaction to that case (without saying anything of it on its own terms) are the opposite of escapist showbiz b*llocks.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!