How AEW Killed "Being The Elite"

“Farewell To Independent Wrestling” was the title of Episode 165 of Being The Elite. At time of writing it was the most recent edition of the weekly show, and was the most appropriate in recent memory. Its climactic moment featured The Young Bucks sharing their story with a House Of Glory crowd following a match with AEW signees Private Party, with a history lesson morphing into a plug for their television rematch on TNT in October.

This was peak Matt and Nick, operating - as they have been for nearly the full duration of the show - in self-promotion mode. For virtually all of the 165 weeks they've filmed their life and times as pro wrestlers, the pair have carefully curated a reputation as everymen whilst gradually becoming millionaires from their profession. Fierce capitalists that present themselves as people for the people, The Young Bucks' attitude has mirrored the remarkable story documented through the growth of the show.

Their emotional farewell was scripted for many more than those in the arena that night. Like much of their work in the past three years, it was valuable footage for BTE and its loyal audience. A loyal audience that once followed them to a WWE Raw Invasion, that multiple times followed them across multiple independent promotions and New Japan Pro Wrestling, followed them into a Chicago event started by a bet, and finally a fully-fledged billionaire-backed wrestling promotion.

Episode 1 of Being The Elite didn't have a title, nor really a format beyond The Bucks and Kenny Omega talking through their fascinating existences as pro wrestlers. The show that launched a million wrestling memes barely had anything of note to it, but it brought the future AEW megastars to life. As it would just about everybody that came near it in the years that followed - the angles were fake but the laughs, the love and the genuine midas touch was real. The foundations of AEW exist within that ethos, even if the BTE empire has crumbled in its shadow.

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