THIS Was The Most Genius Wrestling Angle In Modern History

Nightmare Collective
AEW

The iconically awful Nightmare Collective was total vanity nepotism amateur hour. The Dark Order - genuinely, an inspired gimmick concept within the win/loss rankings framework that is only just connecting - resolutely failed to connect back then with its overtly cartoonish presentation. Certain matches - like Private Party Vs. Santana and Ortiz - made grimly clear the gulf in standards and pressure between a small indie and the nationally televised stage. At best, the praise directed towards the Women's division was faint and condescending: They're trying something with Kris Statlander, and while the gimmick is rubbish, the work is good!

For an apparent downfall, at its best, Dynamite remained a very good pro wrestling television show in December. The Young Bucks brought the match quality, even when ravaged by the flu. MJF cut a wicked promo on Cody to finally throw a match on that tinderbox. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page, in the very first beat of their storyline, demonstrated an expert level of organic, subtle in-ring acting to open up a mystery.

But even the fanatical base couldn't reconcile that product with the vision for and name of 'All Elite Wrestling'. There was a White Album-esque derangement to it all - an unfocused creative tension that yielded stunning wrestling and indulgent bullsh*t alike.

If Dynamite was too good a show to jump the shark, the events of December 18 hardly felt like it. It was a show so infamous in its poor reception that the words "Corpus Christi" are seared into the memory.

CONT'D...(2 of 6)

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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!