10 Troubling Things AEW Won't Change

2. Not Caring About The Women's Division

The Bunny Red Velvet
AEW

One match per show.

One match per show in the penultimate quarter hour death slot - you're only one match away from some main event involving men, guys, so if you could just take this time to flick around, you won't have to wait long!

That's the cynical take, but it's fairly difficult to shake. AEW has amassed quite the women's roster at this point, but Khan's unwillingness to beat wrestlers is even more pronounced in a division that still lacks depth. The cycle feels unbreakable. Stars barely interact with stars, but few stars are made, and the action is lacking. The action mostly plays out to silence because those fans obviously feel like women's wrestling is nothing to shout about. It feels like AEW books women's wrestling because the optics would look horrendous if they didn't. At the division's worst, anyway: remember the Serena Deeb Five Minute Rookie Challenge that only seemed to exist as an excuse to get away with doing even less women's wrestling?

At its best, the division is capable of greatness. Dr. Britt Baker's best promos are up there with the company's best, Jade Cargill is a special act, several women (Deeb. Riho, Jamie Hayter) elevate nothing builds and fight against marginalisation to put on proper unqualified bangers. Those heights, however, are rarely reached.

Is there a more concerning company value driving this never-ending problem...?

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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!