AEW’s Polarising Present: Wrestling Nirvana, Potholed Creative 

In this series, James Staynings takes a deep dive into AEW’s short but impactful history, its present, and its future. In part 1, James discussed how AEW changed the wrestling industry (here). In Part 2, James discussed how AEW’s continued existence benefits wrestlers and fans alike (here).

This part 3 section is divided into two articles to fully explore why and how AEW creative has experienced growing pains and has polarised fans. The final part will discuss AEW’s future. Including discussing the problems that AEW faces and questions Tony Khan will have to address. 

All or Nothing Binary Discord

“Welcome to the sh*t show”

– Justin Roberts (Double or Nothing 2024)

Depending on your feelings towards AEW right now you may read the above quote and expect one of several possible directions. Some will take Roberts’ statement literally. No kayfabe acknowledged.

Just as they may have reacted to Tony Schiavone’s facepalm after The Young Bucks aired the backstage footage of All In. It doesn’t matter if Khan was selling an angle for some. They might believe the myth of AEW’s lack of stories, meaning they take everything in a scripted choreographed show as real.

Other readers might be preparing the defenses for AEW. Readying the counterattack. Expecting me to damn AEW and, like a lot of negative voices in the social media void, give takes that are read as “bad faith”.

There is some of that out there. Perhaps for them, AEW right now is where the best wrestle and that’s all that matters. This, I’ve been told before.

Yet just like bad faith critics saying AEW has no stories, it’s a short-hand internet response that shuts down discussion. A quick, witty (perhaps sarcastic), and simple answer to a complex issue. A grain of truth turned into a fake pearl of wisdom.

Some folks are stuck in the social media binary bubble. Caught between the loudest exaggeratory opinions. Two ends of extremes. “AEW is dying lol” or “AEW is the peak of wrestling.”

Maybe, like me, you smiled with Roberts’ turn of phrase. I enjoyed large parts of Double or Nothing in the moment. Afterward, that happiness lasted for so long.

It has nothing to do with social media bickering. Moreso the questions of logic I know others also asked, given the mixed reactions to Double or Nothing.

There Are Problems and Also Bright Spots

I love AEW, and despite its flaws, I agree that this is where the best wrestling happens week to week. However, AEW’s emphasis on wrestling to compensate for issues in storytelling has created an imbalance.

At its peak, AEW’s in-ring and emotive storytelling hit heights that were groundbreaking. From AEW’s portrayal of masculinity to Jon Moxley as wrestling’s alternative champion. To the ascension of “Hangman” Adam Page and MJF vs. CM Punk, AEW took storytelling to new heights.

This ability hasn’t disappeared. I’ve written optimistically about AEW’s potential to refine form. Sting’s retirement match went beyond my expectations.

The reinvention of Jungle Boy in his second chance so far has proved his potential. Allowing time for “Timeless” Toni Storm’s evolution has shown signs of that old magic. It’s not forgotten, but it’s applied inconsistently.

Sometimes I’ve been rewarded for my trust, patience, and emotional investment. I wrote concerned that Swerve Strickland as world champion would fall into the “fighting champion” cliché rival “Hangman” Page became. Strickland did.

And yet a course correlation is being made week by week. Yet, I know for others, their faith in AEW has been eroded over time.

AEW is a victim of itself in setting the highest expectations and standards. So when things have failed to hit the promised peak, whether it was AEW’s stop-start attempts at women’s revolutions or The Elite’s “putrid” 2023 performance as characters, it’s been fair to point out issues.

Over time, trust and faith in AEW creative has been eroded because of the impossibility of living up to the highest standards. I’m going to explain how this process has happened before in part 2B, discussing wider examples of the imbalance. Specifically, how repetition of mistakes and errors have occurred and become embedded in the creative process.

The Road to Nirvana

What’s kept me engaged has been those bright sparks and that in-ring, the wrestling continues to excel. The result is sometimes Nirvana.

A transcendent place of happiness and peace. Attending All In with a general feeling of coldness towards the product last year, I left Wembley feeling restored.

It’s not about someone else’s subjective five-star ratings. It’s not about work-rate. Instead, seeing athleticism mix with physical theatre to tell personal or universal stories. The wrestlers’ thoughts and feelings displayed in moves and in the space between. WWE is getting better at this, but as I’ve discussed elsewhere, the trappings of Triple H’s booking are still too familiar to Vince McMahon’s.

Although I still find at least one match per week on an AEW show grips me this way, my emotional connection, that happiness isn’t sustained as long as in the past. The reason for this is gaps in logic.

Fridge Logic

Alfred Hitchcock’s Icebox Dilemma in cinema is the test of a movie’s ability to grip you in the moment. The idea is after the movie, you go home, you go to the fridge to get a piece of chicken and, as you open the fridge you go: “Wait a second!”

You realize some error of logic or plot hole in the film. It doesn’t matter because you enjoyed the film at that moment. Escapism wins over logic.

As time has moved on, our relationship as consumers of stories across media has changed. People still argue that Rose had room on the door for Jack in Titanic. Logic both in the moment and after is more important for some.

Regarding AEW, some of the issues of logic or plot holes hit me, and others, before we’ve even finished the episode or PPV. This leaves that experience of nirvana, that enjoyment possibly damaged. Like driving over a pothole.

The Problems on the Road

Potholes are the bane of most driver’s existence. Often leading to wear and tear and damage to your car. Over time you might get use to where they are and swerve to avoid them, but their existence still causes frustration because no one is filling them in.

No matter how good the destination, the lapses in logic, these metaphorical potholes taint our experiences and memories. Especially when the road is used repeatedly. You have to return the same way also. The destination might be heaven-like, but if the road is hellish, the bad usually sticks over the good.

Some are more tolerant than others and others can, and have taken as much damage for the time being as they can handle. Eventually, patience gets lost. Folks ask why the authority isn’t addressing the issue that affects their weekly experience.

This aspect of AEW’s creative stagnation is a valid criticism. It goes against much of what AEW, in its origin as an alternative, promised. In the lack of any address to these concerns also, it goes against the concept of AEW as the listening company.

As I’ll discuss in Part 2B, having the greatest wrestling in the world doesn’t compensate for a lack of logic. Although some fans are capable of cognitive disconnection and just enjoy the wrestling, this is their choice and fair play to them. There is nothing wrong with this.

The Artificial Battle for Heart and Soul

When the storylines lack the nuance of AEW’s past, the focus on the best wrestling doesn’t compensate for what’s missing. This was especially true, in Double or Nothing’s main event. This was my favourite match of the night in terms of action.

Anarchy in the Arena made me laugh, wince, and jump from my chair. I am going to remember long-term the Scapegoat bus almost running over Darby Allin. Jack Perry getting set on fire. Yet Matt Jackson’s gag on cutting “The Final Countdown” for budget reasons might be my primary memory of the match.

Lots of other awesome things happened that I will forget. Part of that is because I will likely see variations of these spots again. Likely soon, given AEW’s use of hardcore stipulation matches.

Several missing pieces in the logic for the battle for AEW’s heart and soul have diminished the emotional connection I and others might have had to the storyline and its wrestlers’ characters.

First, what is ironic is this chaotic match is firmly now a regular calendar fixture. Like some WWE gimmick matches that have become fixtures. Like Hell in a Cell or Elimination Chamber that have their own dedicated PLEs.

The bigger issue hurts all the wrestlers’ characters involved and AEW’s framework of storytelling, where wins and losses matter. What did the winning team get for their side?

There were no stakes in this battle for AEW’s heart and soul. The journey was organised chaos and fun. But as the journey back has proven in the subsequent weeks, what did The Elite gain? What did Team AEW lose? Has anything changed?

Exposing The Story Mechanics

I loved the match for what it was. I appreciate the risks, creativity, and sacrifice all the competitors made.

Contrastingly, I’d rather not be focused on the meta and the real men. I’d rather be focused on the storyline and the character’s motivation, triumphs, and struggles.

When critics say AEW doesn’t have stories, this is where their grain of truth lies. The road back, the inevitable period before a different version of Team AEW forms to face The Elite in a Blood and Guts match, has returned the characters to square one.

If anything, in the following weeks, The Elite seems to be in a worse position. Despite all four men seeming to have the time of their lives in the ring and doing fantastic work, the characters have lost power.

The faces have moved, seeming to not care about The Elite’s plans. Instead, The Acclaimed and Christopher Daniels have been placed as a temporary inconvenience, before the blow-off.

There is no real power struggle in this power struggle storyline. Rather, it remains a parody of WWE’s authority storylines without committing to the bit fully. Despite The Elite doing their best. Despite excellent matches.

Worst of all, by having such large plot holes, it attracts further negativity towards the promotion and The Elite especially. As I discussed when talking about The Elite’s corporate turn, the faction was already walking a tight rope.

Without clear cohesive storytelling to protect and show The Young Bucks’ capability, it only reinforces their detractors and CM Punk’s comments. However, for some detractors, The Bucks will never do anything right.

By not displaying the nuance, levels of care or thought care that AEW once showed, the promotion is legalizing some of their critics.

Potholes Can Be Filled In

This isn’t all doom and gloom. Potholes can be filled in. Time, effort, and expense can address this and any issue. There are still bright spots now and in the future.

The Elite’s characters of 2024 compared to The Elite of 2023 are night and day. Outside of excellent matches, their brand of storytelling, signposting, teases, and Easter Eggs, are there. Potential matches involving ex-Elite members Page and Kenny Omega could make the second half of 2024 exciting.

Beyond The Elite, the women’s division has never been stronger. In the world championship picture, the Forbidden Door main event offers something fresh that no one expected this soon. Don’t expect perfection any time soon because this is a process.

The problem AEW faces, like any business or authority, is balance. Sorting creative gaps may feel like a secondary or tertiary concern, given other issues, like media rights negotiations.

Some fans have and will be put off or go away from AEW until creative issues are addressed or dynamics change. A friend of mine who also attended All In told me he feels “ashamed” looking at his AEW merch.

This is because of all the flaws in the company’s storytelling he can see. Not just because folks online reinforce bad faith. I don’t believe him or other lapsed AEW fans are fickle. Many have valid gripes.

Yet it’s not like folks can’t be won back around again. WWE fans waited two decades for the promotion to heat up again. Lapsed AEW fans as well as new fans can be won, if issues aren’t ignored.