5 Ups & 7 Downs For AEW In 2023 (So Far)

3. A PPV Stinker

Time to zoom in on one specific pay-per-view clanger.

Chris Jericho vs. Adam Cole has been called the worst AEW pay-per-view match ever by many this week. That's likely a case of recency bias, but the bout wasn't very good. All Elite didn't help matters by sticking it on the same card as a riotous 'Anarchy In The Arena' scrap at Double Or Nothing, to be fair.

Regardless, Cole vs. Jericho was 17 minutes of painfully-slow brawling that felt like it lasted 17 hours. There was a total lack of intensity despite the fiery build, which included Britt Baker getting a black eye, and nothing seemed to come off for these guys. Also, Sabu might've made one of the worst PPV cameo appearances in company history.

He disappeared mere minutes in, then Jericho and Cole proceeded to crawl their way through an uninspired set of spots that the live crowd badly struggled to care about. Some are even calling this a sure sign that Jericho is finished. That's harsh, but the "Unsanctioned" match did suck.