Moxley was and always has been the most complete member of The Shield so I don't get why anyone would hold his status in WWE against him. He became the most over babyface in WWE for a time and was cast aside because he wasn't WWE's pet. I can't believe people actually buy that third member **** when Moxley actually was a top merch seller but AJ Styles gets that credit for his brief period at the top. Where does this idea that Moxley is less than come from? He was the most organically popular of the three I'd argue
His status in the WWE defines him for the vast majority of people who watch wrestling. It is just how it is. Now does that mean he can't better that status? Of course not. But is he going to do that on a show a lot less people watch, with no one to really put him over? There is no Brock or Punk there. He is kind of wrestling in obscurity while being on cable.
AEW has to apparently create stars immediately for some reason because no one wants to give them time. You have to understand that WWE raided the indies for years before AEW came to be, so despite Kahn's pockets AEW still has to work with who is available, I think it's a damn shame that people expect a new company to be full of stars in the current reality with contracts as they are. ECW didn't have the luxury of big names either and TNA didn't either at first, but people gave them time, so why must AEW be WCW already? Ted Turner bought Jim Crockett's stars and Vince bought Gagne and other people's stars and didn't create anyone for years.
Them being new changes their roster being thin? You can say that is the reason, and yeah I get that. But it doesn't change that their roster is thin and thus they should take that into account with how they book. They don't imo. Also maybe they shouldn't have screwed over New Japan if they needed more legit wrestling talent to help.
What I think is their biggest issue is how they have framed the show. AEW is new, but they try to act like they aren't. They try to act like there is this long history, that doesn't actually exist unless you watched a lot of other promotions. So they seem to want to just skip the important stepts. Kenny is a prime example. Kenny should be front and center every week, not on Dark, trying to turn others into stars, when he doesn't have that actual status because the vast majority have no idea who Kenny Omega is. And I think this is a big issue, because they act like we should understand their hierarchy already. So that if Kenny ever does come around to being the man, we should just know that is who he could be.
AEW is in a unique position because despite the money, they are dealing with being the new island of misfit toys a la ECW. They don't have names outside of Jericho and Moxley right now and the others just either weren't big names in WWE like Cody or are cast offs who wouldn't fit some people's idea of a wrestler. I mean Punk was a yarder and always had that favor in a way. Freaking Sabu and Sandman always had a job in the business and made some noise for ECW enough to get spots in WCW and WWE despite being guys who weren't exactly talented in my opinion, but they did get an audience and Heyman did good things with them. Darby Allen is a wrestling god compared to some popular ECW names.
This feels like a really weird comparison, because is the idea that AEW should just be fine with failing? Because that is what ECW did. They failed. For whatever influence they had on the business, they didn't last very long and they all ended up working for Vince.
I have a hard time seeing Darby Allin being the answer to the talent WWE has on it's books.
AEW is indy I guess but I like it because I want a national company that has a violent streak in it. I want wrestlers saying what they would say instead of being scripted , I want something soft ash WWE won't give us anymore. I'm personally tired of hardcore matches that aren't really hardcore matches.
See, I don't really care for that kind of stuff anymore. I love blood feuds, I love crazy stunts. But as a kid who grew up absolutely in love with Benoit and Misawa, I don't need these guys doing their stuff to their bodies when we know what that has led to in the past. These guys and gals are already doing enough putting on show night in and night out. Give me the presence of guys like Ciampa or Bray, over "proper" hardcore matches. I find the former far more effective in terms of telling a story.
AEW has problems but they actually want me around unlike WWE who feel like they are owed fans. AEW has serious problems mostly due to garbage commentary where an old guy is pointing out flaws and *****ing about new wrestling rather trying his best to get things over, or an idiot who already seems familiar with a brand new wrestler and gimmick for Allie that the audience hasn't seen, pushing Brandi (because Cody is a good husband and no other reason) with a random gimmick where she's a crazy witch despite being a company executive who has business to take care of. I mean Tony Kahn is just cool with a loon in his office I guess The Dark Order is recruiting anyone despite working in a wrestling company where you should recruit freaking wrestlers to become a more powerful WRESTLING faction.
I feel like HHH wants me around. I feel like the wrestlers want me around, which to me is the most important part. See I don't like Vince, but Vince isn't the entire WWE. He has never been that to me. And when I see NXT, I am watching a lot of talented folk putting on some of my favorite pro wrestling. And while we can talk about the talent gap, HHH is just way better at this then Cody and his crew imo.
AEW has this weird need to appeal to people who seemingly want to crap on the WWE and little else. And yet for me, all that ended up doing was annoying me, while reminding me that there is a company with a lot more people I want to watch. And to me, that isn't really wanting wrestling fans around. Because yeah, it doesn't have to be either or. I can enjoy as much wrestling as I want. But AEW seems fixated over it being either or, so they asked me to choose. And I did.
I mean storylines are garbage right now in every company. The matches themselves are good but storylines are dead now. I mean where's the drama now?
Storylines I dig right now:
- New Japan's title picture (a decade worth of storytelling being distilled beautifully imo)
- KENTA's heel turn
- Bray vs. Bryan (doing an actual storyline about depression and it's working)
- Dakota's heel turn
- Baszler vs. Ripely
- Imperium vs. Gallus
- Finn's return to NXT
- Ciampa's return
- Undisputed Era's prophecy
