9 Ups & 9 Downs For AEW In 2022

1. Is Tony Khan Still Listening?

Tony Khan Ring of Honor
ROH/AEW

AEW is the listening company.

Tony Khan changed the complexion of the Dark Order, binned off the Nightmare Collective, and cancelled Brian Kendrick's Dynamite booking. He, when faced with a defiant and negative crowd response, addresses the complaint because he knows that his fanbase knows best and that the success of his company is determined by their positive engagement.

Is the present tense still appropriate?

Almost every subject interviewed outside of the context of the ring on TV feels like a geek because they almost invariably get interrupted or say little of significance. At this point, it's almost jarring to see an actual star in front of the AEW logo backdrop. These interruptions are sh*te, people bury them every week, and nothing.

No correction; more tropes.

Every AEW pay-per-view with the exception of Forbidden Door ran too long, and at least three matches are destined to fail because the shows sag after a start that's too hot. The sequencing is as to blame as the length, which is a result of - yes! - excess. Khan has more energy than his audience, and his audience has told him this.

No correction; more matches.

Fans have become disillusioned with too many WWE-adjacent finishes and dropped storylines. Remember when Paul Turner was going to tighten up the officiating?

No correction; more distractions.

Tony Khan has developed an unfortunate habit of perfecting the art of spin in 2022.

When asked ahead of Full Gear what he thinks about the apathy many fans feel towards Ring Of Honor, he responded with talk of PPV buy records, which only tells a superficial story; December To Dismember drew more money than the vast majority of ECW PPVs, but that's only because WWE, like AEW, had an easy pipeline to the most super-invested fans.

Is he really listening...?

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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!