10 Troubling Things AEW Won't Change
5. The Slow, Grim Shift Towards A Content Model
All art is content masquerading as art. Be under no illusions.
But good art effectively obscures this by making everything matter, and for a long, long time, AEW did precisely that. The halcyon period that was January to February 2020 remains unparalleled. Khan perfected an impossible formula; almost every single Dynamite was a rip-roaring 9/10 boasting awesome in-ring action that never overloaded the viewer enough to make Revolution not feel like a huge, absolutely unmissable event.
The addition of Rampage to the schedule has detracted slightly from what was an ultra-rare premium "feel" in an era of content. Some weeks are great, but mostly, the show is a 6.5-7/10 that exists at your convenience. Idly, unwittingly scrolling through social media and catching the results doesn't feel like a silly, regrettable mistake.
Battle of the Belts signals a full, suboptimal shift into content territory. It's clear that nobody really gives a sh*t about it. The network reduced the length from two hours to one, and in turn, AEW's apathy is mutual. Neither event was worthy of that description. Neither was bad, necessarily, but neither were must-see.
AEW sold itself as a WWE alternative - no three hour shows, no filler, no monthly PPVs - but BotB feels increasingly like an obligation.