How AEW Just Taught WWE How To Build A Star

by Michael Sidgwick
Dustin Rhodes
AEW

In the semi-final, Archer was faced not with obscure technique but the indomitable sprit of Dustin Rhodes. Even before the match got underway, Archer kicked the sh*t of an innocent bystander, sending him sprawling from the entrance tunnel. These minor details, incidentally - the likes of which WWE never experiment with under its mass-produced model - add up to something special.

In a blinding story match, he crushed that spirit. He extracted the blood from Dustin's head and then, after a superb finishing sequence, threatened to crush it by applying the EBD Claw and splattering it repeatedly against the canvas. This gruesome spot evoked a feeling not unlike one gets when Brock Lesnar is at his most disturbing. Dustin's selling was magnificent, Archer's facials deranged. There's a deliberately theatrical element to Archer's presentation, but it never undermines the visceral power of the act. Lesnar has an aura forged through his real-life legitimacy; Archer through a fusion of superb booking and performance.

In WWE, the power of the machine cuts almost everybody down to size.

Lance Archer is billed as 6' 8", but appears even taller in an AEW ring.

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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!