14 Ups & 4 Downs For AEW In 2020

1. The Women's Division

Hikaru Shida Alex Marvez
AEW

Consider this: Miro's run has underwhelmed, but AEW has at least tried. A connection was made between two men you'd never have thought to programme together in Miro and Kip Sabian, and AEW has arrived at both an inevitable ratings smash and a long-term persona for the former Rusev with the whole 'Best Man' deal.

It could almost be classed as a noble failure.

This level of detail - at which AEW has excelled to an unprecedented level elsewhere - does not apply to the Women's division. Much of the roster is green, and is as unable as AEW is unwilling to break the penultimate segment paradox: they are allocated limited time because they are limited, but they won't get any less limited with such limited time.

This stasis is halfway understandable - the immensely marketable and honed Riho and Yuka Sakazaki are locked down in Japan - but then, little attempt has been made to accentuate the positives and hide the negatives.

More damningly still, the meritocratic ideal that saw John Silver work Full Gear where Miro did not doesn't apply to the women, either. Penelope Ford worked an awesome and creative match with Hikaru Shida at Fyter Fest. In AEW, breakthrough performances are rewarded. This wasn't.

That's an indictment.

Advertisement
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!