9 Ups & 9 Downs For AEW In 2022

2. AEW Was Great Even When You Thought It Wasn't

Chris Jericho
AEW

AEW's greedy and undisciplined roster management was nowhere close to the dream allure it promised, but when it fell apart almost entirely, the top stars stood up and bore the weight with admirable professionalism.

Adam Cole suffered two concussions. Kyle O'Reilly underwent neck surgery. Jeff Hardy entered rehab. Bryan Danielson missed months due to injury. CM Punk missed time due to injury, and was then suspended alongside the Elite for over two months. He seems set to depart the company altogether. It's an excuse, but this really does absolve Tony Khan of much of his patchy, thrown-together booking.

In their place, Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho stepped up and smashed a very challenging remit, Mox became the Wrestler of the Year, while Jericho somehow contrived to rival 2008 and 2009 - at 52 years old - by entering one of the very best in-ring years of a glittering career.

And Jericho, perennially unfashionable in snob circles, never receives his due credit. Mox was even jeered at Full Gear.

AEW remains an excellent promotion when it feels more reliable than earth-shattering. As with the normalised standard of brilliance, sometimes we could all do with maintaining our perspective.

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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!