10 Worst Moments In AEW History
It's not ALL Elite. Some of it is a total shambles...
At its best, AEW is transcendent professional wrestling; to reflect this, a sister list entitled ‘10 Best Moments In AEW History’ has been published under this author page recently.
That list, quite easily, could have exceeded 100 entries. This one could not, which underscores that AEW is a force for good in the modern pro wrestling scene - but, good God, has the promotion crapped the mattress one too many times.
AEW boasted from day one that it would encourage creative expression. This was necessary, for both the fans disillusioned with Vince McMahon’s wretched, oppressive creative, and the wrestlers who wished to escape Vince McMahon’s wretched, oppressive creative.
At times, AEW and Tony Khan reached the opposite extreme by allowing the top stars to do what they wanted - and allowing them to not do what they didn’t want to do. AEW at its worst feels like an unfocused mess - several different promotions existing under one banner, some great, some posing as great, some awful.
This list largely pulls from AEW’s worst creative days - obviously, the tragic passing of Mr. Brodie Lee is the darkest in company history - with one inescapable exception, of course…
10. QTV
QTV was a terrible idea.
A needlessly defensive parody of wrestling media - which, in wrestling, is invariably a sign that a promotion in fact is doing something wrong - the TMZ-themed stable was yet another vehicle with which to get QT Marshall over.
QTV did not get QT Marshall over.
Powerhouse Hobbs was attached to the group, which nearly ruined his career. QT helped him win the TNT title over Wardlow in early 2023. Instantly, Hobbs was just…in a faction, like virtually every other AEW prospect. A rubbish faction.
The aura was drained from Hobbs in one night. What in the absolute hell was a gigantic badass doing hanging around with a fake news crew? Why did, in a wrestling promotion, a fake news crew even exist?
Between the occupational gimmick and “Observe this, brother!” overtones, this was, on two levels, the very worst of 1995 smushed together.
The relationship spun from another core AEW problem: a too strict and too cute attempt at continuity. So what if QT brought Hobbs in?
QTV, a disaster in and of itself, was also emblematic of a deeper rot. Too often, veterans worm their way into Khan’s ear and buy some TV real estate.
As you’ll re-learn…