14 Ups & 5 Downs For AEW In 2021

Downs...

5. Pointlessly Long Long-Term Storytelling

Orange Cassidy Matt Hardy
AEW

In a draining trend carried over from 2020, AEW has again taken far too long to wrap certain storylines.

The general idea is to deepen the investment by making fans wait, but in the case of Orange Cassidy Vs. Matt Hardy, a grand sense of anticipation has hardly been generated. The opposite is true, if anything; the longer Hardy is seen shaking his fist at Cassidy at ringside, the more it feels like it's dragging for no real purpose. Fans have started to resent the programme when they haven't forgotten it's even happening. The storyline isn't unfolding with captivating twists, story beats and heat angles. Its basic in the extreme, and Jack Evans has barely shown ass in comedic segments designed to put over the humiliation of being shaved bald. Even the stakes have been lost in a programme that began in August. It's December now.

There's no reason whatsoever for this to have taken so long. It's Miro and Kip Sabian Vs. Best Friends all over again: a saga for a saga's sake that simply wastes time better spent featuring more meaningful, impactful stories.

It's all in service of the rotating cast and building interest, but if the actual "interest" part is lacking, what's the point?

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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!