AEW is just a few weeks away from their long-anticipated debut on TNT, which marks the first time a mainstream wrestling company has hit a network with this much reach since WCW folded in 2001. WWE has held a monopoly over the mainstream for the past 19 years, and competing with the existing brand is no small feat. All Elite has the network and the money to be a true alternative, but there are many other things they must do to set themselves apart and avoid the mistakes of past competitors. Let’s take a look at five things All Elite Wrestling should do if they want to truly make a dent in the new Wednesday Night Wars.
5. Start Hot, End Hot
When wrestling was in its 90’s boom period, cliffhangers were everything. Raw and Nitro were head-to-head, and every ratings point mattered. Both shows would start with their hottest angles and set up their main events. They’d go into each commercial break with something that would keep the audience from turning to the other show. And they’d end with something massive that left the viewer thirsty and talking all week about the next show. That formula is gone these days, with WWE writing for an audience of one (Vince McMahon). AEW would be smart to adopt hot beginnings and endings to get fans talking and engaging in their episodic show, especially now since NXT is running opposite them.
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Leave The Ring
When you get stuck in formulas, fans get bored and tune out. Unpredictability keeps the audience glued to the screen, and makes every show feel “must-watch”. You can’t just have promos/vignettes/angles always in the same lazy place. AEW would be smart to incorporate backstage/outside angles to generate heat and keep the format fresh. Most angles that fans remember fondly didn’t happen in the ring, they happened outside of it. The Barber Shop, the Mega-Powers, Austin-Rock, Austin-Vince, DX, NWO, etc all stood out because they were bold enough to change the scenery.
3. Don’t Script Promos
Characters are best when it’s the real person, with the dial turned up to 100. Every hardcore 80s and 90s fan knows that characters like The Rock, Triple H, and Stone Cold, were just those individuals being themselves, accentuated by television. Of course there are exceptions (The Undertaker and Kane come to mind), but wrestling works best when things feel real and natural. WWE is suffering hugely from a lack of stars right now, largely in part due to their canned promos. Writing material for someone else always comes off fake and flat. AEW needs to let their talent go off of bullet points, and connect with the fans based on their ability to tell stories. This will ingratiate the audience to a lot of wrestlers and feuds that they wouldn’t have cared for in the past.
2. Focus On Characters
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good wrestling match. I appreciate the creativity and athleticism and timing that goes into a great in-ring performance. I grew up as a purist. But these days, great wrestling is everywhere. A great match used to stand out in WWE in 2001 because their performers weren’t allowed to do everything they wanted in the ring. But in today’s WWE, the ROH style of wrestling is all over the roster. On top of that, NXT, MLW, Impact, ROH, NJPW etc all have top-to-bottom wrestling on their shows. What’s missing today are characters. Just as there’s still room for long matches on this TNT show, there HAS to be engaging personas. AEW must put together packages, promos, angles, and motivations that exposes this potential new audience to future stars. The roster is stacked and primed to shine, but only if their journeys are shown to the world in a creative way.
1. No 50/50 Booking
This might be WWE’s biggest problem in the current age. Every week, they actively and purposely stifle the growth of their workers but having them win, then lose, then win, then lose. People need to be pushed. A push is how you create stars and make wrestlers feel credible, and to do that, they need to win consistently. Your entire roster can’t be even, because then nobody is special. AEW sports a nice mix of main eventers (Jericho, Moxley, Cody, Pac) and potential breakout stars (Allin, Jungle Boy, Guevara, Luchasaurus), and they should start making them feel important to new viewers right away. Once there are pushes established, casual fans will be intrigued to come back and see what the young talent is all about.
