10 Ways AEW Is Better Than WWE

2. Effort

Hangman Page Edge
AEW

WWE does apply effort - those scripts don't rewrite themselves a million f*cking times - but not effort that means anything or goes anywhere.

Think of something like, for example, the Julia Hart character arc in AEW. Subjectively, it isn't even anything great. Hart was misted by Malakai Black in December of last year. Over the ensuing months, this visual representation of corruption has poured out from underneath her eye patch as she cuts a forlorn figure at ringside. This is all leading to an association with the House of Black stable and a presumed reinvention as a badass heel with a goth aesthetic.

Even if you deem it lame and or drawn-out, this is a consistent, evolving storyline thread penned - and this is key - on behalf of the valet of a prelim hand-slapping babyface act. This level of effort and detail is obviously applied in the main event scene too. MJF's "I'm a snake, old man" line worked on at least two levels; he sought to seize Punk's throne as the biggest d*ckhead in wrestling, its most venomous snake, and had buried Punk's sweat-drenched struggles to narrowly put away the younger generation. But there's a loving crafted effort to make everybody evolve within the wider narrative, which is just as impressive.

Then contrast it with something like, for example, every f*cking WWE television show, on which there's either a lazy rematch or a sh*tty finish designed to justify a rematch next week.

 
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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!