Is All Elite Wrestling Dead?
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If you are engaged in the wrestling community on social media, you’ve likely come across headlines proclaiming that AEW is either dead or dying multiple times in the past few days. But is that truly the case? Is AEW dead? To address these questions, we need to delve into several aspects of AEW’s status in 2023 and their trajectory heading into 2024.
One of the major criticisms about AEW in 2023 is the loss of their identity. Instead of being an in-ring wrestling promotion, it has focused more on sports entertainment stuff we generally see in WWE. That has been the case for the most part, with the biggest example of this shift being the MFJ-Adam Cole story, along with the Roderick Strong story. So, in that way, AEW has changed for the worst and fans are asking the promotion to go back to what it was. And it should go back…
In 2023, AEW faced its share of challenges, with the departure of CM Punk casting a shadow over the promotion. However, amidst the criticisms, there have been notable highlights, such as the successful All In event at Wembley Stadium, boasting impressive PPV numbers and ticket sales. Additionally, the acquisition of major free agents like Will Ospreay, Kota Ibushi, and Jay White has injected excitement into the roster. Despite the prevailing negativity, AEW’s ratings, particularly for Dynamite, have remained stable. In various aspects, despite the hurdles faced in 2023, there are positive aspects to acknowledge within the promotion.
Is AEW dying? The obvious answer is no. AEW is not dying and it’s not on the same trajectory WCW was at in its last few years of existence. AEW is very close on securing a new major TV deal, and their signings this year are a great additions to the promotion. But there needs to be changes.
AEW needs to go back to it’s 2020-2022 feel, and there’s ways to do this:
- Stop with the Sports Entertainment stuff.
- Push wrestlers like Swerve, Will Ospreay, Darby Allin and a few others to the main event and world title scene.
- End MJF’s world title run at Revolution 2024.
- Solidify a long-term plan for the women’s division and develop a more focused booking.
- Add Athena to the AEW women’s division as a top star with Billie Starkz.
- Push more of the young wrestlers on the roster.
- Fix the tag team division, and give tag teams like Top Flight and Private Party important roles in the division.
- Sign Mercedes Moné to the women’s division and push her as the ace of the division.
- Give the Golden Lovers a proper tag team run in AEW.
The parallels between AEW and WCW will always be there. They have implemented things from WCW into their DNA and identity, but 2023 is not the beginning of the end for the promotion. Some think that the departures of CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are a sign that AEW is dying like WCW did back in the day… But it’s really not. Wrestling fans are just not used to wrestlers jumping back-and-forth between promotions after decades of a monopoly.
AEW really needs to change things and go back to what it once was before there’s a point of no return. But we are far from getting to that point, at least for now. AEW is and will be fine.
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Aew is definitely on a similar trajectory as 2000s wcw just on a smaller scale they never had the ratings WCW had there shows nobody goes to there ppvs don’t sell… and there booking makes as much sense as if Vince Russo himself was booking it…