Best Wrestling Storyline Every Year 1989-2024
When it actually was "cinema"...
AEW is getting it wrong.
In the first quarter of 2024, in a feud that will not feature on this list, FTR battled the Blackpool Combat Club tandem of Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli.
The teams fought to a time-limit draw on Dynamite after Mox, in refusing to relinquish a dangerous choke applied to Dax Harwood, drew the ire of Cash Wheeler. Neither team was happy with the outcome. The rematch was set for Revolution. It was another extremely good exhibition of hard-nosed action fought under a simple premise: who’s the better team?
The feud wasn’t actively bad - indeed, the spirit of competition that drove it was missing from the promotion in the second half of 2023 - but it was uninspiring, to be negative about it. To be even more negative about it, it wasn’t a great use of anybody’s time. Jon Moxley in particular was wasted here. He’s at his worst when allowed to indulge his persona as the moody tough guy who wins a lot.
Mox is better as the good guy who fights when he’s wronged, where this all-tweener business with FTR was light on his excellent vengeful promos.
(Also: remember how it would make sense when the BCC, not entered into the Tag Team title tournament, would get a title shot after Dynasty?)
As you’ll be reminded, a great wrestling feud is all about contrast…