The One MAJOR Problem Nobody Wants To Admit About AEW

One 17 May, eight days before Double Or Nothing, All Elite Wrestling's website published a "Women of AEW Poolside Photo Shoot" featuring Britt Baker, Brandi Rhodes, and Penelope Ford.

"Sex sells." Fine, okay, whatever; but isn't this what we're supposed to be moving away from? Wasn't this the whole point of WWE's Women's Revolution? "Nobody forced them to pose," you might say. That's not the point. The point is that AEW hadn't even held a single women's match but were already promoting Ford, Rhodes, and Baker based on their image.

In 2019.

Not the best look for a promotion framing itself as progressive.

A better idea would have been letting the audience get to know Baker and co. as wrestlers before introducing them as models. If you have to publish a photoshoot, wait. Let the trio get their personalities and skills over first. Let each get at least half-a-dozen matches under their belt. Establish them in the ring and on the microphone.

The recent "Stars Of AEW Workout!" shoot comes off a lot better, as Sonny Kiss, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus are featured alongside Bea Priestley and Baker. Aside from trying to make you want to f*ck a 65-million-year-old dinosaur, it's good to see they've moved on from "hey, look at these girls!".

But what about the in-ring?

CONT'd...