Why AEW Is Beating WWE At Its Own Game

Jade Cargill
AEW

AEW has however proven itself capable, several times over, of introducing relative unknowns and promoting them so successfully that they rival the stars that first built and portrayed the league as a viable alternative.

Darby Allin generated seriously impressive numbers as TNT Champion; Dr. Britt Baker runs Rampage and makes WWE think better of leaking the Fast Nationals that week; MJF is a bonafide main event talent who consistently peaks 18-49 viewership; Jade Cargill's monster push yielded a super-impressive quarter hour, the best of the night, when she was coronated as the inaugural TNT Champion; and, on the same show, Jungle Boy also got strapped up alongside Luchasaurus as AEW World Tag Team Champion.

That last example is the ultimate proof of AEW's concept. As soon as he debuted in AEW, Jungle Boy was marketed as a potential star and was presented, steadily, as an undying babyface who displayed perseverance in narrow, spirited losses. The fans, encouraged, persevered with Jungle Boy in turn, and embarked with him on a journey from small, green young gun to likeable super-worker who developed under Christian's tutelage a dry wit ideal for selling upcoming matches in backstage pre-tapes. Though tainted by the injury suffered by Rey Fénix - and a superior original outing on Rampage - his ascension to a top spot was immensely rewarding for the fans who watched him evolve. On an objective level - and it really doesn't matter whether you think Jungle Boy is a great dauntless babyface or if he kicks out of too much sh*t - this experience is literally impossible to feel in WWE. Bianca Belair is an obvious counterargument to this, but she's a rule-proving exception.

There's one more to sift through.

CONT'D...(4 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!