THIS Is WWE's Secret Biggest Problem

BTE Kenny Omega
Being The Elite

CM Punk. Daniel Bryan. Becky Lynch. The only three superstars WWE "created" in the 2010s weren't in the plans, and incredibly, WWE once received credit for their sigh-go-on-then narratives. Given her 2020, and the reception to it, the Becky Lynch story becomes that bit more drastic. WWE wanted to push Charlotte Flair even harder than they have done! Charlotte Flair!

Wrestling fans are so desensitised to the problems, and so unconvinced of any solution, that a new discourse has emerged. What's happened, in 2020, is that WWE has become so sh*t, pointless and beyond parody that virtually all of the conversation has redirected towards All Elite Wrestling with a just absurd degree of intensity. There is no value in discussing anything related to WWE. Nothing lasts. Why discuss, for example, if Andrade might get a big push? He will, then he won't. Or he just won't.

And so instead, and all of this is f*cking exhausting, a weekly forensic investigation of AEW begins. If Rey Fénix is caught missing some worked punches by inches on an episode of Dark, hours of debate ensues. Is Kenny Omega a star? Are AEW relying too heavily on "WWE guys"?

Every loss is a burial. They can't book their big guys. They also don't book any big guys (!). The spoiled, rumoured report of Eric Bischoff acting as a debate moderator elicited actual meditations on wrestling's inherent inability to move on from the 1990s, and it turned out to be a fun one-off 10 minute cameo.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

Advertisement
In this post: 
John Cena
 
Posted On: 
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!