10 Ways AEW Has Made Other Wrestling Unwatchable

7. Lack Of Rematches

Chris Jericho
Scott Lesh

It's not just the ills of WWE that AEW has highlighted. WWE tends to do a bang-up job of doing that itself.

To underscore just how rapidly AEW has skyrocketed in buzz and acclaim, New Japan Pro Wrestling - quite possibly the most acclaimed pro wrestling company ever - has faded badly in its wake. NJPW has floundered of its own doing in parallel. Mandated epic main events that expose the talent; excessive interference; a weird and desperate embrace of gimmick matches: this is a promotion in decline. The match results barely mean anything now that Wrestle Kingdom spans two nights.

But even when New Japan does what New Japan does best - offer brutally intricate masterclasses rich in working drama - it still feels a bit meh. NJPW has promoted Minoru Suzuki Vs. Shingo Takagi three times since August. Tetsuya Naito Vs. EVIL will not end. The G1 was a minor triumph, but so many of those combinations feel worn.

Even NJPW's spaced-out trilogy model feels repetitive and thus inessential in contrast to, say, Cody Vs. MJF - a match heavily anticipated, delivered once, and allowed to stand alone as a definitive chapter in MJF's transition to the main event.

When Drew McIntyre's feud with Randy Orton ends some time in 2022, this article will be updated to determine how WWE's approach works in fair comparison.

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!