All Elite Wrestling was a company built on the dreams of a brave few. Each had their own ideas for what professional wrestling could and should be. For years, wrestlers and fans alike were almost forced into believing that there was only one way to do things. It’s nobody’s fault. Business is business. And for a couple of decades, on the largest scale wrestling exists on, there was only one.
When rumors of another promotion began circulating, the excitement was palpable. We’d heard it before, right? But this time it was different. Early on, words were used to separate this new company from the others. Alternative. Fresh. Revolution. WRESTLING. I don’t know about any of you, but hope grew steadily within my soul from the very beginning.
We had options
Time passed and we were finally able to get eyes on the product. A new age was born. I’m not going to sit here and tell you everything was perfect. There were expected hiccups along the way — of course there were. But after almost two decades, those of us who had become frustrated with the folks up north finally had another option. We had a professional wrestling product that made us feel like kids again. We had a professional wrestling product, period. Sometimes I wish we could go back to those early days and the feelings associated with each show.
The identity of All Elite Wrestling in the early days was that of a company that lived for this thing of ours. The matches were given time to breathe and evolve. The wrestlers highlighted were new and exciting. The stories had substance. Championships mattered. Beyond any of that, there was an aura around each show. From the talent to the crowds, it felt like everyone was a part of something bigger than themselves. It was amazing to witness.
As everything does, time passes and things change. The wrestling business is ever evolving. If you aren’t proactive, you get left behind. Then again, if you’re too proactive, you risk leaving fans behind. It’s an impossible balance for any company to maintain. For a company led by a lifelong fan and a handful of wrestlers themselves, I can’t imagine the learning curve they must have endured or the pressure they’ve all must have felt these last four years.
Changes
While some things have changed for the better, other bits of that early company I loved so much have all but disappeared. The AEW we see now is very different than the one that altered the wrestling landscape in 2019. For some, I’m sure that’s a good thing. For others like me, I wonder how far we might stray from that initial image. It worries me.
As one example of many, remember the tag division during the first couple of years? It was an embarrassment of riches. I’m a bit of a mark for tag team wrestling, so my bias is real, but the way they pushed tag team wrestling was truly special. Those of us who primarily watched WWE during the years before AEW had been conditioned to believe that tag team wrestling just wasn’t that important. In just a handful of shows, AEW stomped that notion into oblivion.
As impressive as that tag team roster was in the early days, it’s even better now. You wouldn’t know it though. Start-stop booking has plagued AEW for years now, and the tag team division has not been immune to its impact. The addition of Trios Championships has further diluted what many might have considered AEW’s biggest strength at one time. It didn’t have to do that, mind you, but it has.
Just collections of matches
Speaking of the trios titles, I’m of the belief that they aren’t even needed anymore. I was as excited as the next person when they were announced, but it became clear early on that their counter-productivity was going to become a problem. The need for trios to compete for the titles dilutes a tag division that already was becoming lost in the shuffle. In addition, there is no trios division. There has never been any noticeable effort to construct one either. There are the champions and there are the cycling teams of contenders (never any more than one at a time). There is never a chase.
That’s not a division. That’s just a collection of matches.
The tag division isn’t dead. The talent they have at their disposal is ridiculous. It’s an easy fix. But the oversight to let it sputter to this point is sad.
Ultimately, it’s a microcosm of the entire company. We see stars for a few hot matches and then many disappear from television with no warning. Stories start and stop. Others drag on for so long we forget why we were interested or begin questioning why we should even care about their resolution at all.
Not all of these are the company’s fault. Many apply to others across the wrestling landscape too. Injuries have derailed too many stories and feuds to count. I understand. That happens. Some things have happened behind closed doors that have impacted things to a degree we may never even truly know. I understand that too.
An AEW identity crisis
It just feels like, in many ways, AEW is a company in the midst of an identity crisis. And maybe crisis is too strong a word. They’re searching. I know they have partners to appease. There are television contracts to lock down. Wrestlers have egos that need maintaining. It can’t be easy.
I just hope that there is someone in the room who remembers why this company started in the first place. The Continental Classic gives me hope. The extra attention lately placed on the women gives me hope. Bryan Danielson having a larger voice backstage gives me hope.
I have no doubt AEW has been at a crossroads for some time. It’s a tough position to be in and I don’t envy them one bit for the decisions they must make. But those they do will shape the company for the next handful of years. I want more than anything to see a company I recognize on the other side. It may not be the one I fell in love with on day one anymore, but it can still very much be one I love today and tomorrow.
Never before have I wanted the best for a company like I want the best for AEW. Their success is imperative to the success of the entire business and all those involved in it. All companies. All wrestlers. Everybody.
Change is inevitable. I just hope they don’t lose themselves too much along the way.
Great article. Molly! Glad to see your work here at BRM.