Why Wrestling Has A MAJOR Problem Right Now

Daniel Garcia
AEW

PWG isn't what it was as a result. Its style has been subsumed by the mainstream, and its platform isn't as necessary as it once was for an emerging talent to make their name; by the time Daniel Garcia won the 2022 Battle of Los Angeles, he was already a Dynamite regular.

The problem is that this is just one of several things AEW seeks to accomplish; then again, is much of this actually a problem?

All of this can be interpreted as a euphoric net positive for the industry, at least as it relates to AEW. The company is a far-reaching fan service delivery system.

But the fact is that wrestling by its very format schedule is heavily, heavily reliant - perhaps even dependent - upon what's next. There is no off-season. Wrestling never stops, but must also incentivise the audience to keep watching every single week.

In a "post"-pandemic era of renewed competition, it feels as if wrestling has eaten itself in a mad rush to compete. On one side of the mainstream, at least. A strange schism has appeared between WWE and AEW.

WWE has realised that it needn't really do anything to remain #1. They have released countless talents, many of whom have subsequently signed to AEW and made little appreciable difference to company growth, which has happened, but wasn't driven by WWE ripping up its talent-hoarding philosophy. WWE is in a position where it can indulge itself, with minimal, repetitive and aimless content and an ingrained refusal to sign actual name wrestling talent.

CONT'D...(3 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!