Independent
Thoughts From The Chubby Guy: Can AEW Stay for the Long Haul?
AEW, All Elite Wrestling, fresh off of their Fyter Fest event last night, and what an event it was. From top to bottom, the show had fans griping to the edge of their seats in excitement. Whether it was the deeply competitive contest between Christopher Daniels and CIMA; the huge three-way dance between Nyla Rose, Riho, and Yuka Sakazaki, or the thrilling six-man tag match with The Elite (Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks) facing off against The Lucha Bros and Laredo Kid, fans in attendance were ever-so vocal with their enjoyment.
And while the company, which debuted unofficially on January 1st of this year; has had great momentum so far, fans and industry insiders alike are already saying that AEW can (and will) give WWE a run for its money. Given the current state of affairs within WWE as far as ratings are concerned, it’s likely to be the case.
The Elite, in New Japan Pro Wrestling, long before setting out on their own.
But, is it?
Let’s look at a couple of things, because while the promotion is in a good seat to make a really good run in this market; there are a couple of things they need to do in order to really make their mark. Most importantly, not make the mistake that say, oh, I don’t know, TNA made years ago. That mistake being, that they were trying to compete with the WWE, rather than make their own mark.
Here’s what I mean…
When TNA started, they were a fresh alternative to the WWE, in that they actually provided something other than former WWE talent. Sure, they had a few guys who were decent players in WWE, WCW, and ECW, but, their big focus was on cultivating up and coming, as well as untapped veteran talent that could carry them into the future. Frankie Kazarian, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Low-Ki, Homicide, the list goes on and on, and some of those guys are major players in the wrestling scene today.
Here we are exactly 17 years (give or take a week) from the day TNA was founded, and it no longer exists. Why? Well, there were a number of reasons, from poor management to even poorer ratings, but the one thing many fans would say would be that they brought in too many former WWE guys onto their roster.
Sure, the people they brought in, for the most part, provided new and oft times compelling storylines that showcased both the veterans and the up and comers. But, then, well, further down the line, the stories and feuds grew less and less compelling, and the ratings showed proof of it.
For example…
While WWE couldn’t live down the Katie Vick nonsense; TNA one-upped them by having a really odd storyline of their own. One that included AJ Styles, a woman named Claire Lynch, Kazarian and Daniels. And, an illegitimate child.
This was a storyline that left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths; ruined a woman’s acting career (the woman who played Claire Lynch) and turned a lot of fans off from the product.
Even odder, still, this was a storyline that Styles, Daniels, and Kazarian came up with; that wasn’t even the company’s creation. (To find out more on it, check this story from Bodyslam.net)
But, getting back to the point…
Those were only part of the issues that bogged down TNA, however, as for; in the latter years, part of their focus was to copy-and-paste whatever the big company from Stamford doing on their show. Even if it was something WWE did in the past. Mick Foley had multiple personalities? Well then, Abyss has multiple personalities. The nWo returned to action in WWE; well look at that, Nash, Hall, and Waltman brought “The Band” back together.
Brian James and Monty Sopp reformed as a unit in TNA? What a couple of “Outlaws”, and they call themselves “V.K.M.”? Oh, I get it, VKM, the initials of Vincent Kennedy McMahon; oh, it was supposed to be funny…
Ha… Bah Dum Tiss…
Enough with the Tangent, though…
As you can tell, I was one of those who had high hopes that they would last. And, while technically they have, with them dropping the TNA moniker and adopting Impact as the company name; they are unfortunately not as popular as they were in the past.
To be honest about it, they’re there, but their popularity from the past isn’t. Sadly, the same could be said about Ring of Honor. A company in which, like TNA, many of today’s stars came up from. A company that is still highly influential in the wrestling business, but in the eyes of many, is a former shell of itself.
And that thought formed shortly after The Elite made their announcement that they would no longer compete at ROH. At the time, they were still getting their barrings together in the formation of AEW; and a number of talent was going with them when they were going to open the company. So, more than likely, they had to cut ties with the promotion in order to get their things in order.
When The Elite left, an exodus of stars followed, but some stayed behind. Marty Scurll, for example, has since formed Villain Enterprises; winning the Six-Man Tag Championships with his stablemates PCO and Brody King. He’s also become a stand-out top star in the company, something that he really couldn’t do when The Elite was there.
But, that exodus DID hurt them…
This past Spring, ROH, and New Japan Pro Wrestling held their G1 Supercard show in Madison Square Garden; it was a show that was meant to showcase the best that both promotions had as far as talent was concerned. Many fans went on social media after the show concluded and said that if it weren’t for New Japan; that the show wouldn’t have been as interesting.
The sad thing is, that the company now has to compete harder against a roster of the likes that AEW has built. The same kind of roster that worked for ROH for the last few years. Veterans like Kazarian, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Daniels, Scorpio Sky, Adam Page, and Cody.
The same pieces that became part of the foundation of AEW. Now, don’t worry, folks, ROH is fine, they’ll be around for the long haul because they know who their niche audience is.
But, what about AEW?
Well, here’s the thing about what ROH is doing right, what TNA did wrong, and what AEW, so far, is doing correctly. Knowing your target audience is important, yes, aiming for new viewers is important, but, always knowing your audience is key to a promotion’s survival.
It’s what kept Ring of Honor afloat, their audience consists of hardcore wrestling purists. No, not “hardcore” wrestling, I meant die-hard wrestling purists. They want action and feuds that matter. Something that, in recent years, fans have complained about when speaking about WWE.
So far, AEW has more than provided for their fans, in regards to compelling storylines and action. But, until they reach TV in October, fans will have to keep up with storylines the same way they kept up with them until All-In. Via the group’s online shows.
If you weren’t watching “Being The Elite” on YouTube, but watched All-In and got confused, it was with good reason. The build-up for the storylines leading up to the show was showcased on BTE; much like the reveal of AEW, if you didn’t watch it, you found out about it through the wrestling news sites.
But, once October gets here…
That is all going to change. The major TV deal that AEW and Turner Network Television have will see the company’s show debut the same week that SmackDown Live debuts on Fox. In fact, with SmackDown moving to Fridays, AEW will take either the Tuesday or Wednesday spot, give or take.
Yes, I know, it’s supposed to be Tuesday nights, but I heard rumblings of Wednesday nights being an alternative.
But, besides that, now, with their promotion having a television presence, as well as an online one; they can reach a bigger audience, and actually compete with WWE.
But, they shouldn’t try to directly compete with WWE yet.
Now, before I get torn up in the comments section below or on Twitter, hear me out! AEW is still in its infancy, its a company that has a lot of promise; a lot of press, and a group of people who have a love for all aspects of wrestling. It shouldn’t worry about taking on WWE right now, its focus should be to build its brand. Establishing connections with smaller promotions, in different continents; expanding their brand beyond the American market.
Yes, I gave TNA a lot of flack earlier on, but they made the right moves, too. Unfortunately, TNA also made so many bad moves, that in making the good ones, it didn’t help them at all. It was too little, too late. But it doesn’t have to be that way with AEW.
And so far, having somewhat established a working relationship with AAA, they took a step in the right direction. Add the likes of OWE (a budding Chinese wrestling promotion that combines pro wrestling, martial arts, and break-dancing); and you have a plan for longevity.
AEW should continue this trend…
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If they wish to still be around a decade or two down the line. Not only is not directly competing with WWE at first a smart move in the short term; but, it is also going to give them enough time to build that reputation and audience in order for them to be a major threat to WWE.
And in them sticking around for the long haul, it gives fans of the future an opportunity to have a choice. You don’t miss the days when we had ECW, WCW, and WWF? Those days were great because there were so many choices, and if you were a fan like me; you also watched AAA and CMLL. And found ways to watch AJPW and NJPW and the like.
If AEW sticks around, we can get back to that. And, for me, anyway, that sounds like a good thing.
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Written by Gregory Black
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling, via Twitter
Follow Greg and our Wrestling News Twitter
