{"id":124147,"date":"2024-04-25T07:00:47","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T11:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=124147"},"modified":"2024-04-28T01:42:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T05:42:16","slug":"the-corporate-elite-is-the-aew-faction-whats-best-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/04\/25\/the-corporate-elite-is-the-aew-faction-whats-best-for-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The Corporate Elite: Is the AEW Faction What’s Best for Business?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Elite<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0have gone corporate<\/span>. From<\/span>\u00a0killing the business to running it.\u00a0<\/span>Although,<\/span> controversial as ever, some fans and pundits continue as if the Elite’s direction is to take AEW into the ground. Especially in the wake of recent decisions related to wounds, many fans hoped had healed and been forgotten.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Young Bucks<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>as<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>tandem<\/span>\u00a0seem revitalised.\u00a0<\/span>Goading,<\/span>\u00a0and freely feeding into some fans\u2019 meta-awareness of behind the scenes. Along with their new stablemates, they are telling a deeper story. <\/span><\/p>\n

One that partly parodies repeated\u00a0<\/span>WWE\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>storyline depictions of behind-the-scenes authority figures while furthering their own Elite saga in a new direction. There’s been a mixture of fun since the Bucks put on their\u00a0<\/span>Dumb and Dumber-inspired<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0business suits. <\/span><\/p>\n

The EVPs are taking their job as\u00a0<\/span>seriously,<\/span>\u00a0as two men known intent to boil the proverbial urine of those who want to hate on them and All Elite.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alongside violent storytelling and veiled meta-shots at WWE. Playing so close to reality and linking their actions to the business side of wrestling plays into some fans’ focus on AEW’s business prospects and finances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are\u00a0<\/span>wider<\/span>\u00a0issues AEW has\/is facing creatively and financially\u00a0<\/span>heading<\/span>\u00a0into potential right-fee negotiations by the end of this year with\u00a0<\/span>Warner Brothers Discovery<\/span><\/strong>. In the face of uncertainty, criticism and restoring the \u201cfeeling\u201d, The Elite’s punk DIY attitude of flying in the face of criticism may seem dangerous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on if and how you use metrics to judge your wrestling,<\/span>\u00a0your interpretation of the line graph of AEW\u2019s progress in 2024 will differ.<\/span>\u00a0Whether you see growth or regression is an interpretation based on your biases and preferences.<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/span>\u00a0is not a discussion of AEW\u2019s business strategy.\u00a0<\/span>Although<\/span>\u00a0I did discuss discord over AEW\u2019s pay of wrestling\u00a0<\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Rather<\/span>, it\u2019s a discussion of whether and how the EVPs’ rebranding of The Elite can successfully help AEW from a creative standout. And thus impact AEW’s business.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Petty Nature of Things<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since turning heel, the Young Buck\u2019s level of detail and thought into each\u00a0<\/span>of their segments<\/span> seems more meticulous and layered compared to their late 2022 return from suspension. The levels of meta in their characters innately take further shots at WWE. Meta humour is hard to do. However, The Bucks have a history of success with this going back to the Indies and <\/span>Being the Elite<\/span><\/strong>. It contributed to their following.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the one hand, they have played into some fans\u2019 perceptive that they are aloof, self-absorbed, and passive-aggressive wrestlers.\u00a0<\/span>Also,<\/span>\u00a0terrible managers with no people skills.<\/span>\u00a0On the other, they have parodied wrestling\u2019s real, not fictitious, authority figures.\u00a0<\/span>This<\/span>\u00a0has included their boss,\u00a0<\/span>Tony Khan<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

See their post-<\/span>Revolution<\/span><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0announcement after losing to\u00a0<\/span>Sting<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Darby Allin<\/span><\/strong>. Their decision to use their full \u201cGod-given names\u201d seems like Vincism of the past. <\/span><\/p>\n

Heels should have to have longer formal names, damn it! Early segments where they were seen backstage producing segments felt at points like they were taking shots at WWE production and micromanaging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some might argue that this approach is too niche and somewhat petty. While I agree, it’s nothing new in wrestling. It hasn\u2019t always worked, including one recent\u00a0<\/span>huge<\/span>\u00a0error of judgment. Some fans\u00a0<\/span>are fed up<\/span>\u00a0with AEW taking shots at WWE. Likewise, those same fans may or may not have a problem when WWE gives it back.<\/span><\/p>\n

The criticism that it makes AEW seem secondary is fair to an extent, but it’s also selective.\u00a0<\/span>Especially when you consider that while\u00a0<\/span>the pro wrestling industry might be built<\/span>\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span>the ideas of<\/span>\u00a0masculinity, strength and brotherhood, pettiness has always been a feature.<\/span>\u00a0Politics is innate in wrestling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spirit of Competition Turns Nasty<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Even before\u00a0<\/span>Vince McMahon<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0aired skits with\u00a0<\/span>Billionaire Ted\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>and<\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>Huckster<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0promoters and wrestlers have been displaying pettiness backstage and in front of crowds.\u00a0<\/span>Vince McMahon Sr<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0fired\u00a0<\/span>Hulk Hogan<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0before superstardom for working on\u00a0<\/span>Rocky III<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u00a0<\/span>was suggested<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Tommy Rich\u2019s<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0one-time short\u00a0<\/span>NWA<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0World Championship reign was used by\u00a0<\/span>Jim Barnett<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0in his power struggle with other members of<\/span>\u00a0Georgia Championship Wrestling<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0management.<\/span><\/p>\n

Politics has festered in the ring before\u00a0<\/span>recent times<\/span>\u00a0with \u201c<\/span>Hangman\u201d Adam Page<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0mentioning “worker\u2019s rights”. Think of\u00a0<\/span>Bruiser Brody<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0refusing to work with opponents<\/span>. Like<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Lex Luger<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0in their infamous 1989 cage match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/span>\u00a0was decades before\u00a0<\/span>Shawn Michael<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0bumped like a Looney Tune character for Hogan. Hulk’s inclusion three times in this section was a happy accident. Yet it does highlight a link between position, politics and pettiness that filters from the top down in wrestling.<\/span><\/p>\n

I would argue this has filtered down through the years into the fandom. Especially now into modern wrestling tribalism.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s something<\/span>\u00a0wrestlers and both AEW and WWE are playing on because it drives engagement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>This<\/span>\u00a0is one metric of success: social media.<\/span><\/p>\n

Does that mean that engaging in these games with an extremely dedicated group of fans, often referred to as a \u201cminority\u201d,\u00a0<\/span>bad<\/span>\u00a0for business? That’s a\u00a0<\/span>hard<\/span>\u00a0question to answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before revisiting The Elite, we can\u2019t go on without addressing the words of the man once known as “The Voice of the Voiceless”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Magic of CM Punk\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Personally, like a lot of<\/span>\u00a0fans, I want to move on from discussing\u00a0<\/span>CM Punk<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and AEW.<\/span>\u00a0Yet the problem is this new version of the Elite has explicitly made their connection to Punk\u2019s exit clear on multiple occasions. It\u2019s the entire basis of Perry\u2019s heel persona. The passive-aggressive motivation for the Buck\u2019s heel turn.<\/span><\/p>\n

I broke down Punk\u2019s interview on the\u00a0<\/span>MMA Hour<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0(<\/span>here<\/span><\/a>). I focused on only giving context to his perspective to be objective.\u00a0<\/span>What<\/span>\u00a0I did not discuss\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>wider<\/span>\u00a0context: the timing of the interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

It happened just before\u00a0<\/span>Wrestlemania XL<\/span><\/strong>. Arguably WWE\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>biggest<\/span>\u00a0recent success. Commercially and creatively. Punk joined WWE as the wave was about to reach its peak.\u00a0<\/span>This<\/span>\u00a0meant that his comparisons of AEW and WWE as businesses and criticism aimed at Tony Khan and the EVPs have been helped by Punk’s association with WWE.<\/span><\/p>\n

Intentionally or not, it’s helped some fans paint Punk as being on the right side of history at present. <\/span>It implicitly presented Punk as right and AEW as wrong because of the differences in business.<\/span><\/p>\n

That isn\u2019t to say Punk\u2019s comments on AEW business and\u00a0<\/span>creative<\/span>\u00a0do not have merit.\u00a0<\/span>This<\/span>\u00a0is not to say Punk\u2019s truth is wrong. One of Punk\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>comments,<\/span>\u00a0about the \u201cmagic of CM Punk<\/span>\u201d,<\/span>\u00a0is Punk enjoys blurring the lines between what\u2019s real and a work. Making fans believe there is controversy is\u00a0<\/span>important<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality behind the magic is Punk knows how to articulate his message and manipulate existing perceptions.\u00a0<\/span>To tap into thoughts already<\/span>\u00a0circulating\u00a0<\/span>in the wider<\/span>\u00a0wrestling consciousness to get a reaction.<\/span>\u00a0Punk was open that he enjoyed aspects of his time in AEW. Yet Punk is fully aware that fans perceive him as a saint or devil with no in-between. Muck sticks more than positive praise.<\/span><\/p>\n

He sets verbal pitfalls and traps that opponents may inevitably slip into, proving him right.<\/span><\/p>\n

That All In Footage\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Right now,<\/span>\u00a0we\u00a0<\/span>as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>fans<\/span>\u00a0cannot escape the bitter historical thread that binds them.<\/span>\u00a0The reason is that AEW has not yet let go of it. The promotion responded loud and clear. Despite every person and their\u00a0<\/span>Bret Hart<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0wrestling buddy knowing it would not look good. Still, they did it. Twice. Three times if you include Ospreay’s “grinding” response.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam Copeland\u2019s<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0rah-rah speech on the\u00a0<\/span>Dynamite<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>after the interview<\/span>\u00a0inadvertently proved Punk right.<\/span>\u00a0It showed that AEW was focused too much on itself and\u00a0<\/span>good<\/span>\u00a0matches rather than promoting and growing its audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ross Berman<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>Wrestlinginc<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0on the website’s weekly article series of important shows\u00a0<\/span>\u201c3 things we hated and<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/span>things we loved\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong>, described the speech as \u201coddly apocalyptic\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

The implication is that the speech was cultish. Preaching to the converted. Worse, Berman suggested this reinforced a narrative about AEW\u2019s decline. \u201c<\/span>Any avid viewer of cult narrative knows that there’s only one way this ends<\/span><\/a>.\u201d The response made this narrative feel\u00a0<\/span>real<\/span>\u00a0to some fans.<\/span><\/p>\n

But honestly, if they had completely ignored it, would some fans have let it drop? Would the narrative have changed? The stalemate of tribalism suggests not. Or at least until the\u00a0<\/span>next<\/span>\u00a0shots\u00a0<\/span>were fired<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shots were fired again in the safety of the high ground, which was the <\/span>huge<\/span>, monumental win that was Wrestlemania.\u00a0<\/span>Triple H<\/span><\/strong>,\u00a0<\/span>Pat McAfee<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0and Punk again took swipes at AEW. The short-term reality is, footage or not, AEW had already lost this battle. The footage short-term made things worse for AEW. Did it damage this new corporate version of The Elite by association?<\/span><\/p>\n

After a stellar\u00a0<\/span>Dynasty\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>(more on this later),\u00a0<\/span>it feels like<\/span>\u00a0the news cycle has moved on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Confirmation Bias\u00a0<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Releasing the\u00a0<\/span>All In<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0footage, although attempted as a tie-in for The Bucks\u2019 legacy feud with<\/span>\u00a0FTR<\/span><\/strong>, became an umbrella in a lightning storm for the promotion. If the goal was sympathy for AEW, this failed spectacularly. The reality was a dog pile on AEW. From thousands of dislikes on\u00a0<\/span>YouTube<\/span><\/strong>, memes and negative social media\u00a0posts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The reality was no one was going to change their mind. Why? Tribalism. The footage just confirmed what everyone had already made their minds up about. Seeing the reality\u00a0<\/span>was going to<\/span>\u00a0be mundane compared to the violent brawl many fans might have imagined.\u00a0Regardless of who started it, loyalties already meant\u00a0<\/span>the verdict was decided<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As<\/span>\u00a0IGN<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0put in the headline of their wrestling review: \u201c<\/span>AEW aired the CM Punk All In Footage… and No One Gave a S***<\/span><\/em>\u201d. The writer,\u00a0<\/span>Matt Fowler<\/span><\/strong>, asserted also that it backfired because \u201ceveryone\u2019s moved tf on\u201d (<\/span>article here<\/span><\/a>). Fewer people have moved on. More\u00a0<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0had already decided who was right and who was wrong. Entrenched in their views, some fans no longer want to argue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Confirmation bias was the real winner. And WWE by association of critical favour.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the short term, it might be a failure for AEW. Yet already, something has grown through the manure besides a small ratings boast. And\u00a0<\/span>there was that reaction<\/span>\u00a0at\u00a0<\/span>Windy City Riot<\/span><\/em>, Chicago\u00a0<\/span>for<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Jack Perry<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

It’s a gamble\u00a0<\/span>The New York Post’s<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>Joseph Staszewski<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0ponders with the headline of his weekly\u00a0<\/span>Post Match Angl<\/span><\/strong>e column\u00a0<\/span>was headlined<\/span>\u00a0this week: “<\/span>Jack Perry can make AEW’s CM Punk footage gamble well worth the risk<\/span><\/a>“.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recruiting a Scapegoat<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/h3>\n