How AEW Just Took Fan Service Too Far

Jungle Boy
Scott Lesh

AEW should have instead created a Trios Championship. Organically, the pieces are already in place. Jurassic Express, SCU, Death Triangle, MJF, Butcher and Blade, Best Friends and Orange Cassidy, Strong Hearts, any derivations of the Elite and the Inner Circle: there are several existing groups that could contend for it, and a Trios division is something unexplored on national U.S. television. It represents a guaranteed banger of a segment every other week, the likes of which furnish AEW with another, exhilarating USP. More lenient officiating could also play better to the impulses of some of the roster without irritating the tag team traditionalists. A Trios title just feels more futuristic and consistent with AEW's alternative philosophy. It's a WCW Cruiserweight division for the 21st century.

To get over, the TNT Championship will require - and is getting - significant focus. This will further marginalise the Women's division, which logistically cannot get over with one segment per Dynamite. It stigmatises the women as inconvenient, lesser talents the company is obligated to promote, and vanishes too many of the acts that had generated interest (Shanna, Jamie Hayter).

The counterargument - that those on the roster need "something to do" - is coldly utilitarian and not made in the spirit of true achievement. It's a 'something to do' title until it is established as something more than that, and there are several members of that ballooning roster in need of focused creative. There are several young talents years - and in the case of Jungle Boy, personas - away from capturing a World Championship.

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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!