AEW All Out aired on September 4th and was an entertaining show, albeit far too long. However, the disastrous media scrum that followed the PPV has painted the company in a bad light. As the days pass, it becomes more ridiculous when you think about it and the company will hopefully follow up with an event fans rave about.
Here are a few reasons why All Elite Wrestling needs to provide a show people will remember for the right reasons on November 19th:
AEW Needs to Show the Audience They’ve Learned from Their Mistakes
AEW has a chance to right the wrongs of All Out and shorten the absurd length of their PPV events this Saturday at Full Gear. Tony Khan appears to waiver in and out from listening to fan suggestions for his product.
He thanked the fans for the suggestion, only to back to the previous lighting shortly after. One can only hope he listened to the exhausted fans in attendance by the time the main event between CM Punk and Jon Moxley went on.
The production has consistently been criticized, but often times the messenger wasn’t the best. Road Dogg was clearly angling for a job at AEW, but wound up replacing Jeff Jarrett in WWE as the Senior Vice President of Live Events. Double J has since been hired by All Elite Wrestling in a similar backstage role, as well as an on-screen character.
“The production of the show, not how you produce and execute the creative, but the production of the show is horrible.”
Road Dogg did make some valid points about AEW’s production, though. There are times when it is excellent, and times when the viewer is left scratching their head. For example, Samoa Joe turned on Wardlow last week on Dynamite and attacked him. The camera angle made it pretty obvious that it was going to happen, but that is not the issue.
Somehow, AEW managed to cut away at the precise moment Samoa Joe attacked Wardlow and had to roll it in a replay. It is hard to figure out how that managed to happen when the attack was the entire point of the segment, but it did and they deserve criticism for it. AEW Full Gear needs to be a well-produced PPV that allows the viewers to actually experience the moments as they happen this Saturday night.
The Women’s Division Needs to Show Signs of Life
From the outside looking in, the situation regarding the AEW Women’s Championship makes zero sense. Thunder Rosa isn’t exactly CM Punk, so it is head-scratching why she needs to remain champion for months with an injury. She’s an incredible in-ring talent, but they had her rush an injury announcement in a backstage segment and then she vanished. If she was that vital to the TV show, wouldn’t she still be on it like Britt Baker was during her injury?
We’ve gotten some explanation from the AEW Women’s Champion on Busted Open Radio following AEW Interim Women’s Champion Toni Storm’s comments. Thunder Rosa said she hopes to return around January and suggested that Toni speak to those in power backstage who made the decision.
They haven’t given me a time yet when I’m coming back. I’m saying it’s January, and I hope it is January.
Again, if Toni Storm disagrees with what’s decided in the back, that’s not my problem. That is not my problem, Toni.
Toni Storm versus Jamie Hayter should be an interesting matchup, but it is still just to determine the Interim Champion. Storm should be thriving as the champion but instead that weird and unnecessary label has made her whole reign feel less than.
The situation with the TBS Championship is just poor booking. Jade Cargill is a star but this storyline hasn’t done her any favors. Nyla stole the TBS Championship and is billed as the “TBS Champion” for the show. Time will tell if the TBS Champion versus the “TBS Champion” will captivate the audience at the Prudential Center.
While the build to the title matches has been lackluster at best, there is one match that could potentially give AEW fans hope that this division will finally find its footing. The talent has always been there, but quality booking has been hard to find as late.
Saraya will make her long-awaited return to the ring at Full Gear against Britt Baker. The two had a great segment on last week’s Dynamite and the crowd popped when Saraya announced she was cleared to return to the ring. Baker and Saraya putting on a quality match at the PPV would be huge for the division, especially if both title matches overcome their build and deliver as well.
AEW Needs a New Champion to Get Fans Excited for the Future Again
It is Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s world and we are all living in it. The 26-year-old has vaulted to the top of the roster by simply not being there. Fans got to watch AEW World Champion CM Punk say that he is “not in the business of stepping on each other’s d**ks”, only to hit a Coup de Grace on the collective d**ks of his coworkers at the All Out media scrum.
The AEW World Champion opted to air his dirty laundry minutes after winning the title in his hometown. It was supposed to be the beginning of his second title run (without a single title defense) but he was suspended following the brawl with The Elite. Punk was also injured during the title match and likely would have had to relinquish the title anyway.
MJF’s hiatus began after his incredible “pipebomb” promo on the Dynamite following Double or Nothing. He called Tony Khan a “f***ing mark” during the promo and blasted him for hiring ex-WWE guys that according to MJF, couldn’t lace his boots. CM Punk hobbled down the entrance ramp after the promo in an effort to confront MJF.
He had broken his foot earlier in the show and would need to step away just a few days after defeating Hangman Page to win the title. MJF scampered through the crowd and wasn’t seen again until the conclusion of All Out.
CM Punk defeated Jon Moxley in the main event of All Out to capture the AEW World Championship for the 2nd time. A man in a devil’s mask was gifted the Casino Ladder match to begin the show after Stokely Hathaway’s The Firm faction beat everybody down. It was revealed to be MJF and he confronted Punk at the conclusion of the PPV. MJF got a thunderous reaction but it was soon to be overshadowed by Punk’s even louder rant.
Jon Moxley cut one of the better promos of his career on the Dynamite after the PPV. Mox said that winners always want the ball and went on to defeat Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam to win the title again. He’s become the heart and soul of the company, but it is time to drop the belt.
MJF has already convinced many fans that he is a generational talent, and the time is now to make him the face of All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan made a bunch of signings looking for his franchise player but the truth is he’s been there all along.
