10 Wrestling Fan Complaints That Absolutely Suck

8. Marko Stunt & Orange Cassidy Aren't Believable

OMEGA DRAW
AEW

Marko Stunt is a very diminutive performer who leans on his natural frame to invite comparisons to a child because this drives audience sympathy. This is why he flosses, and if you don't like that, no problem. He usually gets the piss sprayed out of him immediately after.

If you watch carefully - and by "carefully", I mean actually watch AEW - Marko is almost always launched into offensive manoeuvres by his Jurassic Express teammates, or, when he isn't, he's selective. He himself flies into moves, using the momentum generated - and not the core strength he doesn't possess - to earn a near-fall. The grand irony here is that Marko Stunt, Betrayer of Psychology, leaves very little scope for actual scrutiny.

Orange Cassidy meanwhile aims lazy, casual kicks at heels, and those heels never sell them. No heel, not once, has sold an Orange Cassidy calf-graze. That they haven't grasped that he always ducks the subsequent lunge is a bit daft, but that's just wrestling. The heels don't believe Cassidy's offence in AEW canon. You are asked - instructed - not to take it seriously. AEW have made Marko Stunt and Orange Cassidy congruous to a believable wrestling product with tweaks on their more overt comedy indie fare.

Nobody is killing the business.

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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!