I love AEW. It's what got me back into professional wrestling after years of ignoring it.
That said, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was growing tired of the brand over the past couple of years or so. I've written articles on what I felt was wrong with AEW, but after recent weeks of being as enthralled with the product as ever, I want to write about all of the things that I currently think are awesome about AEW!
Because honestly, I'm now super back into all of the title belt changes, as well as being all in (You see what I did there?) when it comes to the upcoming PPVs. In other words, I am so back into AEW! Here's why.
First Off, Bobby Lashley And The Hurt Syndicate Is A Big Deal
You know, the last time I watched WWE, The Hurt Business were tearing it up. Featuring MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley, and Cedric Alexander, The Hurt Business were one of my favorite factions back in the ThunderDome days.
And then, they weren't. Shelton Benjamin was released from WWE in 2023, and MVP's and Bobby Lashley's contracts expired in 2024. Cedric Alexander, on the other hand, is still with the company.
So, when Shelton Benjamin debuted in AEW with MVP in early October, the idea of Bobby Lashley reuniting with his Hurt Business brothers seemed like an inevitability.
And dreams became a reality when Lashley became All Elite at the end of October at Fright Night Dynamite. When he attacked Swerve Strickland, I knew that the Hurt Business was back in… er, business.
But now, they're the Hurt Syndicate. Even so, that's just a different name for a similar outfit.
And, I just love this. I once wrote about the best Tag Teams in AEW, and it would be really cool if Lashley and Benjamin ran roughshod through AEW as a duo. They add a whole new electricity to AEW that I haven't felt in a long, long time, and I can't wait to see what they have in store for Full Gear later this month.
Heel Moxley Is The Best Moxley
Jim Cornette doesn’t like Jon Moxley, but I do. And, while I don't think I'd ever really consider Moxley a complete face (in the same vein that I would never consider “Stone Cold” Steve Austin a complete face), I always prefer Mox when he's a complete heel, like he is right now.
Moxley shocked the fans at All Out when he turned on Bryan Danielson, putting a plastic bag over his head, which was a startling scene, to be sure. And now, he's taking the Death Riders (Formerly the Blackpool Combat Club) to new heights, subtracting Danielson and adding in Pac and Marina Shafir to go along with Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli.
Which is totally badass. I know there are people out there who like to compare AEW to latter day WCW (I don’t see it, but I know those people exist), but one storyline I kind of do see AEW aping from WCW is the NWO saga, in which mainstay wrestlers try to overtake the promotion and reshape it in their image. The Death Riders have always been doing that, but Danielson once provided an anchor in that role as he wanted to improve the rest of the locker room.
Mox, however, seems to have an agenda to usurp the brand as he smells weakness amongst its ranks. He makes for a truly intimidating heel, and it will be interesting to see how the Death Riders will go up against the likes of other heel factions like The House of Black, and yes, the Hurt Syndicate. Will they align? I don’t know, but I’ll be tuning in week after week to see just how everything pans out.
Private Party Winning The Tag Team Championship Is So Well Deserved
I love the Young Bucks. That might be a weird way to start this off, but I find that they’ve always been willing to put over other wrestlers if it’s what’s best for the company. In the past, we’ve seen some interesting tag teams get the belts, but I don’t think I ever considered Private Party becoming the Tag Team Champions.
And, I don’t know why this is, since they’ve always put in the work. Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen have never put on a bad performance, and they’ve always been interesting (and fun!) to watch.
That said, they’ve also sort of been jobbers over the course of their careers in this promotion. For example, when Keith Lee debuted in AEW (Where’s he been, by the way? I hope he’s okay), he manhandled Private Party all by himself in order to immediately put himself over with the crowd.
Similarly, there have been other examples of Private Party just being sent out to be thrown to the wolves. So, it was a very pleasant surprise to watch Private Party not only be put into a feud with The Young Bucks, but to actually defeat them.
I was happy when The Acclaimed (whom everybody loves) became the Tag Team Champs, but I'm even happier that Private Party finally gets their chance to shine. Just like the crowd chanted for their victory, they “deserve it.” Oh, and speaking of the crowds…
The Crowds Are As Electric As Ever
One thing that has kind of gotten me down about AEW is the internet.
Yes, I know, I know. I should just watch the product and not let naysayers and disbelievers dampen my mood, but it's hard when people post pictures of poorly populated arenas with plenty of empty seats.
This has obviously psychologically sapped me of my enthusiasm, as it's made me think that AEW is on its last legs. It's just one of the many reasons why I've been worried about the brand.
But honestly, AEW is ostensibly in a better place now than I thought it was in. The promotion recently signed a deal with MAX, and they don't look like they're shuttering their windows anytime soon.
That said, it's the crowds themselves, reduced as they are, that is bringing back my hope.
The fans seem as enthusiastic as ever, and even though I haven’t been as charged up with the promotion as I once was, the audience seems like they never stopped being charged up. They are still breathing life into the company. All you have to do is listen.
I Feel Like AEW Finally Realized That They Don't Need To Be In Competition With WWE Anymore, And Are Now Doing Their Own Thing
Lastly, and this is a big one for me, but I really feel like AEW is truly coming into its own. I know this might sound strange since AEW is still acquiring former WWE stars, but I don’t know. There is something very different about the product now that I just feel is palpable.
It might be the plastic bag-over-the-head spot to Bryan Danielson that led me to this conclusion. I recently watched the Vince McMahon documentary on Netflix, and while it took me back to memories of just how wild WWE once was, I don’t think there was ever a time where WWE would have allowed a wrestler to do to Danielson what Moxley did.
Now, would I ever allow my children to watch AEW? Absolutely not, as even though my kids are smart, I wouldn’t ever want them to get the idea that putting a plastic bag over somebody’s head is safe in any way whatsoever. But, if anything, it brings me back to the old ECW days, where every spot looked like it could end a person’s career (If not their life).
I truly do think that AEW has finally decided to shed the idea of being an alternative to WWE, and has instead decided that it doesn’t have to compete with their biggest competitor. Their core audience is still here, and they look like they’re sticking around for the long run.
But, what do you think? Are you still into AEW? For more news on all things AEW-related, be sure to swing by here often.
