AEW Full Gear 2023: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True
8. The TBS Title Gets That "Death Spot"
There are concerns about the secondary female prize too.
It may sound harsh, but Kris Statlander is nowhere near as vibrant a champion as Jade Cargill. Yes, Cargill's squash match-heavy reign was a struggle near the end before a WWE jump, but that had more to do with AEW's own struggle to find the right opponents for her. On Statlander, the belt feels less-than.
All Elite wouldn't be helping Kris and her foes at all if they handed this three-way the dreaded "death spot" right before the main event. Traditionally, matches are placed in the second-to-last position so people can "come down" before they "come up" again for the headliner. In other words, few care about those bouts and they're forgotten quickly.
It might actually be an idea to open with the TBS Title and give something more interesting (the six-man tag, for example) a crack at maintaining fan interest pre-main. Statlander, Julia Hart and Red Velvet/Skye Blue (this article is being written before that's decided) deserve a chance to succeed.