9 Lessons AEW Should Learn From Revolution 2021
3. Don't Sacrifice Longevity For Instant Excitement
Or, to put it in terms pro wrestling historians will understand, don't go full WCW. Or, for that matter, don't go full TNA. One of the big hooks of Revolution were the surprises promised for the show, an age-old pro wrestling trick that might actually do more harm than good. Who was the Hall of Fame-worthy signing that Paul Wight was referring to? Who was going to take the final place in the ladder match? Tune in to find out!
The thing is, surprises are only really effective if they are, you know, surprising. You can't exactly hang your hat on surprises doing good business numbers, but you can damn sure guarantee that living from surprise to surprise is no way to set-up long-term success. We live in a world that is becoming increasingly numb to the excitement, eager for the next fix of a big name debut or a shocking turn.
AEW needs to go back to simplicity, back to the nuts and bolts of professional wrestling booking that have served it so well in its short existence to date. Pay-per-views should be built on engaging feuds and big matches, not 'didn't see that coming' arrivals and shocking debuts.