Why This Hidden Gem Is The REAL Best Storyline In Wrestling

by Michael Sidgwick

He is getting over by thrusting his hips.

He is playing a distracted hanger-on, too in love with his own bullsh*t to make something of himself, but that bullsh*t is what's getting him over. It's very, very funny. It's meme fodder. The dance is preventing Garcia from taking his craft seriously in storylines, but is getting him over ahead of the babyface turn in reality. He always had a towering ring presence; now he has a TV-sized personality that puts him over as a cool and sympathetic figure at the same time.

AEW's youth movement approach allows them to tell this unique story, which is pro wrestling's best - provided Garcia is given every opportunity to nail the most important chapter. He has to go over Chris Jericho definitively in a major pay-per-view match.

By promoting such a raw prospect on the global stage, warts and all, AEW has fused the Japanese and North American approaches to creating a star. You see the talent. The raw promise. The misadventures at generating heat and getting over. The entertaining silliness that US TV wrestling is at its core. The rise through the ranks. The glimpse of the final form, which your supports allows them to discover. You see the rewarding, relatable bits that North American promoters try to obscure, and you also see the young lion excursion unfold in real time.

AEW has attempted this before, with the Pillars, but Garcia entered AEW with zero fanfare, only touted as an awesome prospect by the few remaining followers of an independent scene that AEW has rendered more niche than ever. This is a true coming-of-age story wholly unique to AEW.

Daniel Garcia is telling the best story in wrestling fr fr.

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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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!