AEW 5 YEAR REPORT CARD - give your letter grade of AEW as a promotion to date

[Instant Classic]

It started off hot, but too much politicking got in a way of the company's success. I felt any hope for the company died when they fired Punk and Tony made that PSA about being scared for his life.

It's nice that there's a legit 2nd promotion that wrestlers can go to because that's healthy for the business. For that you have to respect Tony for creating that opportunity for many. However, the main issue is Tony not knowing when to step back and rely on others to make the product better. It's clear he can't write a wrestling show to keep people engaged on a weekly basis. So, it's insane he hasn't hired a better writing room to fix that issue because it's clear the writing is holding this company back. It's great that they can make good PPVs, but the key to wrestling is having a weekly show to keep people engaged and I can't remember the last stoyrline or wrestler they built up that makes me want to watch the show weekly.


AEW is also relying too much on expecting people to be aware of non-wwe wrestlers. It's crazy that they made Jay White just another guy. He was one of the hottest free agents, and he would've been better off feuding with the Miz like many feared. Also, I don't like how they're handling Okada because the average viewer wouldn't know that he was one of the best wrestlers of the 2010s. I think expecting the viewers to know that and know the other stuff that happened in the indies in Japan isn't wise because most people just watch WWE.

overall: C+. I don't think they'll recapture what they had during the Punk era, but it's nice to see there's a solid #2 wrestling promotion. This company want go further until Tony surrounds himself with better people and ditch the Young Bucks

 

[Rell84shots]

How can you see the 80% empty arenas & cratering ratings and not give them an F? If they were at the level they were in 2019 I'd give them a A.

 

[Rollie Forbes]

I think how much one enjoys AEW depends on what style of pro wrestling one prefers, or what one wants in a wrestling show. I've been watching wrestling since the 80's, and I've seen every type of flip, spin, slam, spot, and dive that the human body can pull off. To that end, 20 minute gymnastic "bangers" with guys doing moves just for the sake of doing moves without logic and common sense don't really impress me.
I prefer good storylines, characters that I care about, and realistic-looking matches that contain logic as well as athleticism. Based upon my personal preferences, AEW gets a passing grade of D+.

Pros:

• The first two years of Dynamite were very fun to watch.
• AEW has a large, diverse roster.
• Tony Khan has put some great legends such as DDP, Arn Anderson, and Bret Hart on AEW television.
• There are often fun nods to classic wrestlers and wrestling angles.
• Tony Khan has revived the careers of legends such as Jake Roberts, Mark Henry, Jim Ross, Konnan, Eric Bischoff, and Jim Cornette.
• AEW has helped to make wrestling podcasting more popular, and allowed fans to earn income by discussing AEW.
• Shad Khan's money means that AEW can last forever, and entertain us for years to come.
• AEW popularized the PPV post-show press conference, which have often been more entertaining than the PPVs that they followed.

Cons:

• Black wrestlers in AEW have a ceiling. Sure, Swerve is the current world champ, but I think he's going to get the Obama treatment (he'll be the one and only). It feels like Swerve won the belt just to check off a box.
• Also, talented Black wrestlers (S/O to Nyla Rose, Bryan Keith, & the brehs in Shane Taylor Promotions) are mostly used to put over less talented white wrestlers.
• Tony Khan books solely for himself, Dave Meltzer, and the core fanbase.
• There are so many title belts in AEW that none of them mean anything.
• There are too many "dream matches" that feel thrown together and lack a reason for us to care about the outcomes.
• Tony Khan isn't good at writing or developing characters.
• There are too many things that happen on the shows, and never receive any follow up.
• What happens in the ring is often illogical; most of the wrestlers in AEW can't tell a story in their matches, which leads the matches to just becoming sequences of moves.
• Gimmick matches, blood, tables, profanity, thumbtacks, etc. have been used so much that they no longer mean anything.
• It often feels that Tony Khan is trying to force Japanese-style wrestling onto an American fanbase. What they do in the Tokyo Dome doesn't necessarily work in the Norfolk Scope.
• AEW matches often look phony, overly choreographed, and silly, and definitely don't have the "real sport feel" that we were promised when the company started.
• Tony Khan goes to the "eliminator match" well way too often.
• AEW does have stories, but we want something compelling. To his credit, Tony is trying, but we want well-told stories like Sting vs the Horsemen, The Bloodline, the Summer of Punk, the formation (and breakup) of the Mega Powers, and Raven vs Tommy Dreamer.
• Going back to my point about believability, Tony Khan lets tiny guys regularly beat monsters. Sure, any man can lose a fight, but big men always losing to guys half their size is completely unrealistic.
• Tony Khan books the same guys on tv each week. The AEW roster is huge, TK should mix things up.
• There is way too much Chris Jericho, and way too much of the Elite's goofiness on AEW tv. Meanwhile, guys like Jay Lethal, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and a bunch of other more entertaining wrestlers are seldom seen.
• The announce team should be streamlined, and Excalibur should be replaced.
• Match outcomes are usually predictable, but they often take way too long to get to the point.
• Match times should be shortened on weekly television so that more wrestlers can appear on the shows.
• There are way too many start/stop pushes ('Sup, Wardlow), and too little consistency in character development/storylines.
• Tony Khan's ego/hubris/inexperience ruined the working relationship with Impact Wrestling, which could've been a fantastic corporate partner for AEW.
• Tony Khan does a piss poor job of running the locker room, and it seems like the talent often gets to do whatever they want. See Jericho, Chris.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

I think how much one enjoys AEW depends on what style of pro wrestling one prefers, or what one wants in a wrestling show. I've been watching wrestling since the 80's, and I've seen every type of flip, spin, slam, spot, and dive that the human body can pull off. To that end, 20 minute gymnastic "bangers" with guys doing moves just for the sake of doing moves without logic and common sense don't really impress me.
I prefer good storylines, characters that I care about, and realistic-looking matches that contain logic as well as athleticism. Based upon my personal preferences, AEW gets a passing grade of D+

That is pretty much my position. At the end of the day...it just isn't my style.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

AEW has way too many lows and if we’re comparing them to the companies in the op..it’s a F. With their roster they’re not even touching peak ROH(which is hard to do). Really just comes down to booking.


​

You gotta change your name to a luxurious Chicago suburb like @GLENCOE or @HIGHLAND PARK

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

How can you see the 80% empty arenas & cratering ratings and not give them an F? If they were at the level they were in 2019 I'd give them a A.

Their revenue keeps growing

 

[MenacingMonk]

First post of the thread and man threw his cape on

How am I caping? I’m not saying AEW is the greatest fed ever. I voted a B and a lot of other reasonable posters gave them the same. But I wouldn’t expect someone who constantly shyts on AEW to see things clearly.

And you have dudes in here saying early Dynamite from 2019 to pandemic was better. The roster was wack back then compared to later years and a lot of those shows were skippable. I didn’t even start watching consistently until Punk/BD arrived. And you have the nerve to say I’m caping.

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

I think how much one enjoys AEW depends on what style of pro wrestling one prefers, or what one wants in a wrestling show. I've been watching wrestling since the 80's, and I've seen every type of flip, spin, slam, spot, and dive that the human body can pull off. To that end, 20 minute gymnastic "bangers" with guys doing moves just for the sake of doing moves without logic and common sense don't really impress me.
I prefer good storylines, characters that I care about, and realistic-looking matches that contain logic as well as athleticism. Based upon my personal preferences, AEW gets a passing grade of D+.

Pros:

• The first two years of Dynamite were very fun to watch.
• AEW has a large, diverse roster.
• Tony Khan has put some great legends such as DDP, Arn Anderson, and Bret Hart on AEW television.
• There are often fun nods to classic wrestlers and wrestling angles.
• Tony Khan has revived the careers of legends such as Jake Roberts, Mark Henry, Jim Ross, Konnan, Eric Bischoff, and Jim Cornette.
• AEW has helped to make wrestling podcasting more popular, and allowed fans to earn income by discussing AEW.
• Shad Khan's money means that AEW can last forever, and entertain us for years to come.
• AEW popularized the PPV post-show press conference, which have often been more entertaining than the PPVs that they followed.

Cons:

• Black wrestlers in AEW have a ceiling. Sure, Swerve is the current world champ, but I think he's going to get the Obama treatment (he'll be the one and only). It feels like Swerve won the belt just to check off a box.
• Also, talented Black wrestlers (S/O to Nyla Rose, Bryan Keith, & the brehs in Shane Taylor Promotions) are mostly used to put over less talented white wrestlers.
• Tony Khan books solely for himself, Dave Meltzer, and the core fanbase.
• There are so many title belts in AEW that none of them mean anything.
• There are too many "dream matches" that feel thrown together and lack a reason for us to care about the outcomes.
• Tony Khan isn't good at writing or developing characters.
• There are too many things that happen on the shows, and never receive any follow up.
• What happens in the ring is often illogical; most of the wrestlers in AEW can't tell a story in their matches, which leads the matches to just becoming sequences of moves.
• Gimmick matches, blood, tables, profanity, thumbtacks, etc. have been used so much that they no longer mean anything.
• It often feels that Tony Khan is trying to force Japanese-style wrestling onto an American fanbase. What they do in the Tokyo Dome doesn't necessarily work in the Norfolk Scope.
• AEW matches often look phony, overly choreographed, and silly, and definitely don't have the "real sport feel" that we were promised when the company started.
• Tony Khan goes to the "eliminator match" well way too often.
• AEW does have stories, but we want something compelling. To his credit, Tony is trying, but we want well-told stories like Sting vs the Horsemen, The Bloodline, the Summer of Punk, the formation (and breakup) of the Mega Powers, and Raven vs Tommy Dreamer.
• Going back to my point about believability, Tony Khan lets tiny guys regularly beat monsters. Sure, any man can lose a fight, but big men always losing to guys half their size is completely unrealistic.
• Tony Khan books the same guys on tv each week. The AEW roster is huge, TK should mix things up.
• There is way too much Chris Jericho, and way too much of the Elite's goofiness on AEW tv. Meanwhile, guys like Jay Lethal, Powerhouse Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and a bunch of other more entertaining wrestlers are seldom seen.
• The announce team should be streamlined, and Excalibur should be replaced.
• Match outcomes are usually predictable, but they often take way too long to get to the point.
• Match times should be shortened on weekly television so that more wrestlers can appear on the shows.
• There are way too many start/stop pushes ('Sup, Wardlow), and too little consistency in character development/storylines.
• Tony Khan's ego/hubris/inexperience ruined the working relationship with Impact Wrestling, which could've been a fantastic corporate partner for AEW.
• Tony Khan does a piss poor job of running the locker room, and it seems like the talent often gets to do whatever they want. See Jericho, Chris.

 

[Rollie Forbes]

You'd read it if Meltzer wrote it.

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

You'd read it if Meltzer wrote it.

If Meltzer had wrote it, it would be 10x as long and there would be no way in hell I’d read it

 

[br82186]

AEW was a response to Vince Mcmahon treating wrestling like a joke, so when it was up against a literal F grade product in WWE
it flourished

but after Vince was thrown out of office, WWE stepped up heavily, and AEW was exposed through Tony Khan's shytty booking

i voted D+, but i meant to change it to C-

And I think that's where a conflict lies, AEW was built to be an alternative against Vince's storylines and booking, the problem is NO ONE saw Vince getting pushed out the paint the way he did thus throwing Triple H into the booking chair and you have to remember that Triple H's NXT have always been looked at as an alternative under a WWE umbrella.

All in all I don't think Tony Kahn expected for AEW which is an alternative to go against another alternative in WWE. Not to mention both him and Triple H have the same mindset on how their shows are ran.

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

Think they just grew too quickly for what the infrastructure of the company was capable of handling. It has overexposed to company a bit and they haven’t been able to properly handle it in terms of creative, roster management (including not doing enough due diligence on the the ex-WWE signing spree of 2021-22), talent relations, marketing and promotions, public relations, communication, etc.

Obviously you don’t say no when your tv partner offers you more tv and wants you to do more PPVs (which WBD covers the production costs of) because that’s a lot of money and if you say no then those opportunities might not come later, but at the same time you got to make sure you set your company up to be able to properly handle it.

Creative issues aside, they need to use the new tv money they get to really beef up the office side of the company.

 

[StatUS]

How can you see the 80% empty arenas & cratering ratings and not give them an F? If they were at the level they were in 2019 I'd give them a A.

An F would be like UWF in the 90s

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

There's a couple cacs lying about never having watched

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

An F would be like UWF in the 90s

Or Control Your Narrative, XPW, etc.