Boy, it's been a hot minute since I last sat down to update this blog, and while I'm sure my absence from writing hasn't been at top of anyone's mind, considering the mess our world has been subjected to over the last few months, I still feel like an explanation is owed, and luckily, it's a simple one. Back in mid-March, I gained true employment for the first time in my life, and between my job, studying to earn my GED, and my always iffy mental state, this blog has been low on my priority list. I've contemplated closing up shop entirely, but I still have the occasional urge to divulge my thoughts, so while I can't promise anything consistent, I'm hoping to at least have the occasional post going up whenever inspiration strikes. This afternoon, I felt compelled to take a deep dive into one of my favorite topics, All Elite Wrestling, who have felt a little stagnant at points in the first half of 2022, especially coming off a stellar 2021. Don't get me wrong, AEW remains on the cutting edge and might still be the best product out there, but minute flaws in their booking and production remain evident, and have been clearly exposed during their recent crossover with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. As someone who has spent countless hours in the New Japan archive throughout the years, this potentially industry-altering sharing of talent hasn't the loftiest of heights for me, and while I'm certain the actual Forbidden Door pay-per-view will be stellar considering the talent both promotions bring to the table, I'd like to take a second (or perhaps an hour) of your time to discuss where AEW's programming has been lacking.
Let's start with where I feel AEW truly succeeds from a storytelling perspective, and that's in the midpoint of their angles. WWE can occasionally be better out of the gates, and in the endgame, but it takes true care and ambition to keep a character drama interesting in the moments in between, and AEW is reliably fantastic in that zone. They have just the right mix of shifting alliances, unique stipulations, and eye-catching matches and promos to keep their audience invested all the way to the climax, where the company tends to always stick the landing. I can't say enough good about AEW's approach to keeping their long-form storytelling riveting, but the same can't be said for their opening act. I get the sense that Tony Khan despises any form of exposition, and prefers that every episode of Dynamite or Rampage to barrel ahead at a million miles an hour. It's an approach that typically works well; AEW's programming is a blast to watch on a weekly basis, an adrenaline-fueled wrestling rollercoaster that's endlessly addictive. But for the 45-50 weeks out of the year where this is the welcomed approach, it has it's drawbacks, chiefly whenever new elements need to be introduced to the audience. It's the most basic building block in writing; who is this, and why should I care? AEW answers those questions, more times than not, with Excalibur breathlessly rattling off a list of accomplishments on commentary, before the cool wrestlers just start doing cool wrestling moves, and surely everyone is on board by that point, right? The excitement for a new debut is infectious, and more often than not, the live crowd losing it for the sight of their favorite international or independent competitor is enough to skip straight past the who and why. But not always.
Look, I love seeing Will Ospreay, Great O-Khan, El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Tomohiro Ishii, and got damn Hiroshi Tanahashi getting spots on a primetime, national wrestling broadcast, and regardless of whatever bad faith narrative is being spun, there's no evidence that New Japan involvement is doing anything to harm AEW's precious TV numbers. But there's also little to indicate it's helping, and after years of waiting with bated breath, daring to believe the unimaginable could become reality, it's disappointing to realize that these incredible wrestlers, linked to the most prestigious wrestling promotion in the world today, are merely buying time as opposed to building momentum. My belief is that it's not their fault, but instead linked to the biggest downside to AEW's core programming philosophy. AEW doesn't believe in letting go of the gas pedal, and they've left a large portion of their audience in the dust. For the viewing audience to truly invest in these potential dream matches, and appreciate this undeniably awesome moment in wrestling history, it takes a level of effort in establishing who and why they matter, which AEW has shown little interest in rising to meet. I'm not asking for hokey character vignettes, or 20 minute promos going into the minutia of complex character decisions and life stories, but the average TNT watcher has likely never been exposed to many of these athletes before, and it's on AEW to do the legwork. Honestly, if you can't sell someone after five minutes of Hiroshi Tanahashi Wrestle Kingdom highlights, then they probably aren't a wrestling fan, but AEW needs to give their audience that opportunity. Don't worry so much about trying to get everyone on-screen at the same time, that's why New Japan went hard into factions in the first place, so the casuals could avoid doing homework and only care about the few major alliances that mattered. Spend even a few minutes of TV time on individual promos, flashy highlight reels, or even just Excalibur shouting at the screen, and then you can move on to endless run-ins and near falls, and it'll matter in a way it never did before.
That's been my take on AEW's missteps in the build to Forbidden Door, which is now just a week away. I wish I could've offered more concrete solutions to the problem I identified, but honestly, it's not rocket science. Despite this critique, I'm still really looking forward to it, this is all out of love and a desire to see AEW continue to grow long into the future, the wrestling business has been fundamentally altered thanks to them, and I'll always be appreciative of that. If I get the time, I want to take in some 2022 Impact Wrestling, and that might be another topic to cover at some point in the future, we'll see.
- Henry
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