How AEW Got A Five Star Match With NO Fans

Santana AEW
AEW

All of this was much-needed respite all the better for the extent to which AEW removed us from the old, unrecoverable normal. But that creativity and tone could only sustain AEW for so long. Much of the fun that swept through the promotion detracted from what was an uneven All Out build that felt off in tone. The defiant Double Or Nothing celebrated the first, cruel glimpse of freedom. When it became apparent that we remain quite f*cked, the disproportionate amount of comedy wasn't quite as infectious.

Last week, AEW got serious with the Parking Lot Brawl between the Best Friends and Santana and Ortiz, using the comedy at which it excels not to distract but to accentuate at the finish.

Immediately, the tone was set. The two teams, recognising that the main event doesn't come easy and that the storyline demanded it, beat the ever-living sh*t out of one another under a hailstorm of closed, stiff fists.

It was a savage and incredibly committed fight, but the wrestling - and there was just enough in it to not compromise the tone - was as exceptional as it was seamless. Trent countered an early attempt at a power move with incredible agility, fusing the modern state-of-the-art style with heart-stopping death match suspense. In a fantastically inspired tandem high spot, Ortiz flattened Chuck Taylor before Santana splashed him from one non-gimmicked car hood to another. Most if not all of the spots were not gimmicked, which is contra to how the best wrestling should work - but goddamn did it work as a spectacle.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

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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!