How AEW Broke The WWE Royal Rumble Curse

by Michael Sidgwick
John Morrison The Miz
WWE.com

He seemed to create his arc there as a response to how criminally under-utilised he was. In WWE, he was a cheap heat-seeking brawler; in New Japan, he went for gasps and laughs by fashioning himself as versatile in-ring strategist and hilariously wholesome backstage promo. He went into a zen state to conquer full d*ckhead mode Tetsuya Naito; he targeted Shingo Takagi's base in a a match Bret Hart would coo at; he straight up had to kill Tomohiro Ishii.

Of course, Kofi Kingston broke the curse before Moxley, but there is something to this story: under Vince McMahon's creative direction, a great many of WWE talent is cursed to meander through their run. Avoiding embarrassment is a career high point.

The curse has mutated over time to infect the journeymen to the prospective stars. Moxley broke it, but this year could see anybody - Apollo Crews or John Morrison - succumb.

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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!