How AEW Just Taught WWE How To Build A Star

Austin Theory
WWE.com

Even when WWE doesn't opt for this inexplicably long hero's journey narrative, it struggles to connect its talent to the public. This example isn't ideal - there is no public to receive him either way - but do you know a single thing about Austin Theory? His character was drawn slightly more on NXT - he is a cocky prodigy far younger than most who earn a break - but main roster fans must be absolutely mystified about who this person is, what motivates him, why we should dislike him. He just turned up one day in an empty gym, looked impressive, and formed an unnamed alliance for no discernible purpose.

Even in NXT, one of few segments that sought to explain the character revealed another glaring issue with the company's mentality. Theory confronted Tyler Breeze on March 11, as Breeze put over the Performance Center as this huge, almost sentient star-making enterprise. "We hear all the time about this first class that built the Performance Center...in reality, the Performance Center built us. There would be no Tyler Breeze - Tyler Breeze wouldn't exist - without the Performance Center."

When Theory interrupted, he...agreed. "The WWE Performance Center builds superstars," he said. "But it can also make people megastars."

Karrion Kross is the fairer comparison to make, but the vignettes were similar in aesthetic and placement to so much of what we've seen before.

Everything in WWE is about the company, and not the star, which is why there are so few of them. Obviously, the company must be put over to make it seem worth a damn, but not to this extent.

CONT'D...(2 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!