12 Things You Didn't Know Tony Khan BANNED In AEW

2. The Invisible Camera

Sami Zayn Roman Reigns Jey Uso Bloodline
WWE.com

Wrestling, or WWE's interpretation of it, is a fundamentally flawed television programme even if the wrestling, promos and angles on it are good. The invisible camera renders every last character stupid. They appeal to and taunt the crowd. The crowd can watch the show on TV. The characters and crowd can both watch the show; the characters don't bother because the plot could not move forward if they did.  

The Bloodline saga was very well-performed, once Sami Zayn added levity and intense emotional stakes, and since the audience had connected with the story and its various layers so strongly, the inherent flaw didn't really matter - but the inherent flaw existed all the same. All Sami Zayn and Jey Uso needed to do was simply watch the television shows back. Every last misunderstanding, through which the storyline was advanced, would have been resolved.

Now, Tony Khan has on ultra-rare occasions had a lapse in concentration - about a handful of times - but is very insistent that AEW does not fall into the same awful trap. His wrestlers even make sure to mention that they've watched the TV shows, just to get this point across. AEW will take the piss. At times, the promotion will produce what is functionally an invisible camera segment, but mention that the camera is rolling, even though there's no reason at all for the camera to exist in that setting. 

Back in 2019, Khan, when asked ahead of Dynamite's premiere how closely it would resemble Being The Elite, even buried that show to get over how strongly he feels about this atrocious device.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick (Creative Writing BA Hons) is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over a decade of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential UK 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 AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and 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!