AEW has nice charisma. You need to prefer it simply as a lot as you want the WWE or any of your different favourite promotions. It’s such a terrific showcase of expertise and it constantly places out electrifying shows of wrestling that don’t comply with a hard and fast method all of the time (a criticism that may be levied on WWE matches, although the method remains to be a very good one). And but, greater than three years in because it debuted in 2019, a number of long-standing cracks in its basis are threatening to make AEW one in all the quickest ‘Rise and Fall’ tales in wrestling historical past. The extremely anticipated New York City present, Grand Slam, made these cracks obvious in its third outing.
Taking as soon as extra to the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, Grand Slam rode in with some hype pushing the occasion. While MJF vs. Samoa Joe was actually a giant pull, Eddie Kingston’s title vs. title match with Claudio Castagnoli was positively the match made for the New York crowd. Kingston had homecourt benefit and the crowd let him comprehend it. Saraya vs. Toni Storm was one other good match between fan faves, together with Chris Jericho vs. Sammy Guevara giving followers a terrific end with a watch for a future storyline that’ll see them feuding for longer. Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix, on the different hand, might’ve been a very good match. But a foul spot resulted in Moxley getting injured. It didn’t assist that the referee in that match botched the end by failing to understand Mox was damage, main Fenix to do one other piledriver to finish it.
So, what does this all reveal about the present state of AEW? To reply this I’ll be specializing in the Dynamite a part of the present right here given Rampage, the Friday present, hasn’t aired but (although it was taped proper after Dynamite ended). To preserve issues simple and accessible, beneath you’ll discover a checklist detailing the good, the dangerous, and the ugly of AEW as it’s now and how Grand Slam introduced all of it to the fore.
Here we go.
Good: Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli
If Kenny Omega is the soul of AEW, then Eddie Kingston is the coronary heart. This man’s wrestling persona is grassroots relatable, a warrior that rose from the streets and earned everybody’s respect by blood, barbed wire, and brutal beatdowns. Having a title vs. title match with Claudio was a terrific choice as they proved to have nice in-ring chemistry and a formidable sense of physicality that made the match really feel like an offended avenue battle.
The match had a very good sense of buildup, too, principally due to Kingston’s explosive and emotionally charged promo abilities. It felt vital. There was story behind it and these two wrestlers gave it their best to ensure the narrative reached its highest level inside the ring. The highs talked about right here, although, result in one in all AEW most severe lows.
Bad: Wrestling is storytelling, and AEW wants…extra…tales
Goddamn it, AEW. You really want to put money into storylines, the sorts that construct up for a very long time and finish in an electrifying PPV match. This has been your Achilles Heel nearly from the begin. It’s the motive why many people can’t give ourselves totally to this. We have to care about the fights, why they occur.
I perceive AEW’s curiosity in placing the wrestling first and the whole lot else second, however wrestling thrives when it has nice tales propping it up. This means investing a bit extra time in promos, interviews, and in-ring verbal back-and-forths. Dynamite didn’t reduce any dwell promos. What few story segments we obtained have been prerecorded. They have been efficient and humorous, however in the end too informal. People did get pleasure from it. Maybe take this as an indication that they’d wish to get extra of it.
I’m not saying AEW must go WWE ranges of sports activities leisure, however giving wrestlers a motivation that followers can get behind raises the possibilities extra folks will tune in to see the way it all unfolds. Story can makes us really feel every win and every loss extra deeply. Having a event for a title match with nothing driving it aside from getting a shot at a belt limits the pleasure the viewers can really feel in these exhibits. The matches that obtained extra crowd engagement have been the ones with wrestlers who’ve invested in constructing their characters. Toni Storm and MJF are a few of the best examples of this.
Good: MJF places butts in seats
It’s no secret that AEW is struggling to promote tickets for his or her exhibits. Other than the massively profitable All In occasion at Wembley Stadium (which had its personal controversy relating to ultimate gross sales figures), social media is rife with crowd pictures and attendee photos that make the promotion appear like a glorified indie present. Grand Slam was on its technique to being severely underwhelming on this division. That is, till MJF was despatched on a promo tour to hype up the occasion.
MJF went to Mets video games, discuss exhibits, and native TV to get folks into the Arthur Ashe, and it labored. While Grand Slam wasn’t as packed because it was in the earlier two years, folks did end up for it and it was MJF who obtained them there. Hell, MJF grew to become NYC’s favourite son for his predominant occasion, dressed up in baseball pinstripe trunks and pads whereas additionally sporting Mets colours wherever he might.
The AEW world champion is purple scorching proper now, made extra evident by the reality lots of these in attendance have been first timers. His promo push was sufficient to persuade people who most likely wouldn’t have given the present the time of day to exit for an evening of wrestling. [Editor’s note: Tony Khan asked the audience several times if it was their first Grand slam and many said yes. Those near where we were sitting were actually families – something I didn’t’ see much of at GS I and II. These families seemed more like casual wrestling fans and weren’t singing and chanting along with all the catchphrases. Bringing in new fans is key to survival, and it was clear that MJF’s charisma did just that.]
MJF is turning into extra recognizable exterior the wrestling ring, extra so than different of his fellow stars. The motive? STORY! MJF has constructed himself up right into a legit wrestler. He’s the complete bundle. Attaining this standing requires giving each motion a way of narrative. In this sense, MJF is a strolling, speaking story machine.
Bad: A Scattered Women’s Division
Other than for a choose few feminine wrestlers, principally Saraya, Toni Storm, Ruby Soho, Britt Baker (to an extent), and Kris Statlander, the division’s feuds and bookings are throughout the place. It’s simple to lose sight of who’s holding which belt and who’s subsequent in line for a shot at them. Rather a lot went downhill after Thunder Rosa obtained injured and couldn’t defend her not too long ago received belt. Very little was executed to ensure interim champ runs didn’t really feel like non permanent storylines or placeholders.
AEW has nice expertise inside the division, together with some up and coming stars that may very simply carry the firm for years to come back. An absence of cohesion and imaginative and prescient, although, can pull the curtains down on all that. Grand Slam Dynamite, for example, solely had the Saraya vs. Toni Storm match and it wasn’t actually given room to set issues in movement for future storylines. It was a painful waste of a possibility.
Good: The few story moments we obtained
Toni Storm vs. Saraya gave us a shoe beatdown and a kiss between the two rivals. Chris Jericho vs. Sammy Guevara graced us with a betrayal and a terrific look by Don Callis. The crowd responded properly to those bits of story and it made the matches really feel as if one thing actual was at stake. I already went over this, however it bears repeating: WRESTLING IS STORYTELLING! The loudest viewers pops got here from these moments. Give us tales!
Ugly: Injuries, accidents, and extra accidents
Jon Moxley’s harm throughout his battle with Rey Fenix was scary, however it was additionally an sadly acquainted sight. AEW has had plenty of injured wrestlers over these previous few years, a few of them have been not too long ago made champions at the time of their accidents (CM Punk and Thunder Rosa are simply two examples of this). Tony Khan did launch an inventory of banned strikes not too long ago to strive and stem this quite common incidence. Despite that, Moxley nonetheless went down laborious throughout his match, altering the course of the bout and forcing a title change which may not have been in the playing cards.
Wrestling is harmful and each match incurs danger, however when you’ve got so many accidents limiting your present’s lineup it could be time to rethink wrestler security and well being. This is a really complicated situation and this temporary touch upon it barely does it justice. It’s simply one thing we have to preserve an excellent nearer eye on.
Adam Cole suffered an ankle harm as properly when he got here out to cheer on MJF throughout his battle with Samoa Joe. This one was simply was dangerous luck. He jumped from the ramp to the floor and tweaked his ankle, it appeared. Losing Cole now when he’s ROH tag workforce champion with MJF can be very unlucky, particularly as he’s one in all the few who’s additionally invested plenty of time in constructing a number of storylines round his character.
AEW is just not in a terrific place proper now. It might be worse, however these empty venues are trying mighty dangerous (scores on the different hand inform a unique story). Every wrestling promotion ever has gone by lengthy stretches of sheer hell, the place the whole lot seems to be like it should come crashing down laborious and quick. But rather a lot in lots of instances, they persevere…or get purchased by the WWE. Here’s hoping AEW builds on its strengths and avoids turning into a future episode of Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring titled “Bloody Foreheads and Concussions: the very short life of AEW.”
Editor’s Note: BAD – the Brawl Out Effects: Grand Slam actually confirmed the lingering results of a strong yr of CM Punk associated drama. While the particulars of the Brawl Out press rant and battle have been humorous – muffins, chairs, canines – what occurred at All In was simply dangerous – combating with co-workers and superiors. Whether you’re Team Punk or Team Elite, launching Collision constructed round one in all wrestling’s nice personalities – Punk – and then seeing him fired from the firm a number of months later needed to have been extremely detrimental to planning and storylines. It needed to be a serious vitality suck and the obscure reserving seen at Grand Slam is the consequence. (I’ve to be sincere, the crowd was fairly quiet for many of Rampage…possibly as a result of it was hours 3 and 4 of the present, however possibly simply not as a lot to be invested in, particularly amongst newcomers. There have been some good matches and moments although, as you will note!) Like Ricky, I actually like AEW and what it brings to professional wrestling. I hope they will get issues again on monitor now {that a} large distraction is over. – HM.
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