In any wrestling promotion, there are shortcomings. No matter how much one may enjoy a wrestling product—be it AEW, WWE, Stardom, or even your local indie promotion—there are always positives and negatives to consider. For most fans, the real fun is in pointing out what could be done better, as if we’re all experts.
Most of us aren’t experts.
We’re not backstage, in production meetings, or pitching ideas to creative. However, the nature of pro wrestling as an entertainment form makes it uniquely accessible compared to other industries. It’s rare to meet an A-list celebrity at a meet-and-greet, but pro wrestling offers just that.
We’ve become entitled. And so be it—this isn’t going to change anytime soon. However, what we can do is try to be fair and balanced in our criticisms, right? No true wrestling fan should root against a company and hope they fail, nor should they dismiss a brand simply for doing things a little differently—or even for appealing to the mainstream casual audience.
So let’s open this bag and create a pyramid. Simple in concept, easy in execution: three positives, two negatives, and one pitch. What’s going well, what isn’t, and what’s an idea to help improve the product?
You can apply this pyramid to any promotion—and if you do, you’ll probably find that your biases aren’t as strong as you think. Everyone has preferences, but nobody should be so much of a fangirl that they can’t be honest about their own wrestling product. However, we can still remain positive, right?
That being said, here is the Weekly AEW Pyramid.
Positives
#1 AEW Strikes a Deal with Amazon Prime
This is a pretty big deal.
AEW pay-per-views will now be available on Prime, which has over 200 million subscribers worldwide. This comes on the weekend of AEW Revolution, which might end up being the second-best-selling Revolution PPV in their history. For the #2 wrestling company, these are healthy numbers, proving there’s still a strong market for an alternative.
Pair that with Max stating that AEW is one of the top streaming sports entities on their platform, and things are going better in the land of the elite than many may think.
#2 Ricochet
Just Ricochet.
Did anyone expect him to embrace this smug, unlikable character that actually delivers compelling promos? During his WWE run, he showed flashes of personality, but his current feud with Swerve Strickland has allowed him to lean into a new persona—a cocky nerd with a dangerous edge.
For those who haven’t been paying attention, his months-long feud with Swerve likely comes to a boiling point this Sunday in a #1 contender’s match for the AEW Men’s World Championship.
While I can sense a Prince Nana ‘swerve’ coming to get nuclear heat on Ricochet, it’s well-deserved based on his recent performances. It also makes the main event quite interesting—because a Moxley vs. Ricochet match doesn’t seem logical given Ricochet’s current momentum. Perhaps Cope really will dethrone Moxley…
#3 Toni Storm vs. Mariah May
For those keeping track, this is one of the longest-running stories in pro wrestling.
Who says AEW doesn’t have stories? This has been some of the best work I’ve seen in women’s wrestling in a long time. Storm and May have a chemistry matched only by a few in history. I fully expect Storm to retain and head into All In: Texas as AEW Women’s World Champion.
Who her opponent will be remains in question. But if I’m booking, I’d find a way to get Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander in the mix—maybe in a rare all-face three-way match. Regardless of what happens, this story is on fire, and Revolution is worth the price alone for this No Holds Barred matchup.
Bonus: Harley Cameron
I mean, have you seen Harley Cameron?
She has all the tools to become a huge star in this industry. She oozes charisma, is extremely talented, and is over with the AEW fanbase. Her in-ring ability keeps improving, and she looked like she belonged on a big stage during her match with Mercedes Moné at Grand Slam: Australia.
Her rise continues, and I’m enjoying every second of it. You should too.
Negatives
#1 The Death Riders
I’ll admit, the storytelling has improved in recent weeks with Cope and Jay White introducing elements that make this stable feel less dominant than before. However, the combination of not seeing the AEW World Championship for months and Moxley’s often confusing motives makes me think: “Hey, nice try, but this ain’t it.”
If Mox retains because of a Jay White heel turn on Cope, there better be a damn good reason for it.
If Cope defeats Moxley and Christian Cage immediately cashes in to become AEW World Champion, he better drop that belt by Dynasty. We don’t need Christian Cage as AEW World Champion—at all.
Ideally, this all needs to somehow end with either “Hangman” Adam Page or Darby Allin winning the title at All In: Texas.
#2 The Trios Championships
There isn’t much of a division anymore, is there? A lot of AEW programming is clicking right now:
- Ricochet/Swerve
- MJF/Page
- Storm/May
- The rise of Megan Bayne
But the Trios Championships are dragging the show down.
A. Nobody believes The Death Riders will lose most of the time.
B. Nobody cares anymore.
With The House of Black gone and The Undisputed Kingdom as one of the only real trios left, the division feels hollow. AEW might as well retire the Trios Championship and introduce Women’s Tag Team Titles instead. There’s enough women’s talent to go around right now—talent that doesn’t have a regular spot on AEW TV.
The Pitch
#1 Start Using the Term “Fighters”
This is something that some Japanese promotions do—why not implement it in AEW?
It’s still wrestling, but using “fighters” creates an immediate aura that AEW’s in-ring action is more intense, competitive, and legitimate than your average wrestling match.
It’s also a great marketing angle that separates AEW from WWE in a unique way. Fighting Spirit is already part of AEW’s identity—so why not lean into it?
Bonus: Wardlow Returns at Revolution
Wardlow is healthy, right?
What if he returns at Revolution to cost MJF his match with Page?
It would reignite their long-stalled 2022 feud while freeing up Adam Page to go after Moxley and The Death Riders (if they aren’t dethroned on Sunday).
And even if they are, getting Page into the main event by All In: Texas—a place that would cheer the roof off for him—would be a perfect move.
And that wraps up the weekly AEW pyramid. I’ll be doing more of these to offer an honest look at the promotion I support and wish the best for.
Criticism is important for growth. And hopefully, this format opens the door for honest discussion.
– JPT
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