“I want you to put out there, that we Back Up”
AEW in 2024 has a new energy, and is truly exciting
I haven´t been able to review AEW for a while and I think that will continue going forward (Because of College) but I wanted to write about the exciting momentum AEW has right now and a lot of people will point to the new signings Mercedes Moné, Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada. But they were trending towards a better overall booking before any of the trhee became All Elite.
Good Babyface Booking
This was a topic that I have been talking about for a while because the babyface booking in AEW was very weak since July 2022, creating a plethora of main eventers and upper midcard that where in a grey area of not been babyface nor heels created a bad dynamic where only the ability of workrate was the main appeal, that to be fair is the main draw for me, but I wasn´t engaged with the product like before, add this issue with MJF been the main protagonist of the promotion with some of the worst instincts for a main eventer ever and I just wasn´t enjoying the show aside of some matches.
But things started to change mainly in AEW Collision and then slowly in AEW Dynamite. AEW Collision has a main core of babyface acts, they are not undisputed main event babyfaces but they have potential and have great workrate as well of decent to great mic and character work. This wrestlers are:
- Daniel García
- Mark Briscoe
- FTR
- Adam Copeland
Bryan Danielson is another usual act featured on Collision but his alignment changes a lot that is in a grey area that I don´t like (BCC in general suffer from this).
AEW Dynamite is finding a core of babyfaces, right now they have two over acts that are 100% babyfaces and a collection of great hees to work with, but I want to mention the main two wrestlers that are driving the babyface side on Wednesday´s show:
- Swerve Strickland
- Will Ospreay
Swerve eventhough was still in a gray area before AEW Revolution, he now has turned fully babyface and the crowd loves it, he can talk and his character work has delivered and has a fantastic side character with Prince Nana that adds to the overall act. He is in the chase for the AEW World Championship and I think he will win it soon but I won´t be mad if the chase is extended because to be fair there are still things to make the chase hotter.
Ospreay is the man of the moment in AEW, amazing output in ring and specially mic work. Some people in certain circles have mentioned that he should win the AEW World Championship ASAP. In my opinion Will has been given the opportunity and he has been incredible to unexpected levels. His in ring promos is something I look forward weekly but I think there has to be a chase for him to get to that main event World Championship win. People to be behind someone needs to feel engaged and identified to a goal, and to get to that goal the wrestler has to surpass struggle and injustice. We have had multiple recent examples:
- Tetsuya Naito chase to win the Tokyo Dome main event
- Hangman Page winning the AEW World Championship and beating Kenny Omega
- Kenny Omega´s chase to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and beat Kazuchika Okada
- Cody Rhodes finishing the story
Ospreay winning the AEW World Championship in his home country in the biggest stadium in the UK is something that has to be build perfectly to get the maximum potential creatively and business wise. Ospreay has multiple matches available to get even more over as a babyface as well of multiple setbacks to overcome on his way to his character´s main goal.
I don´t want Ospreay to win this year, not because I don´t think he is ready (He in ring wise is more than ready) BUT because I think there´s juice to an extended and exciting chase that can make him the Top Babyface in wrestling. Long Term Gain>Fast Cheap Pop.
Back To Wrestling
Skits and overlong promos where a main issue with the AEW product in 2023, and listen, I LOVE great angles and promos (We are getting fantastic weekly promos with Ospreay) but MJF used this resources until make them dry, unfunny and something that isn´t AEW.
The C2 was the motor to get back to great weekly wrestling in AEW and by not having blocks of 30 mins for one guy giving a shitty combo of awful skits and comedy match it gave space to actual quality in the ring and in the mic as well of fantastic angles like this one earlier in the year
The New Signings
Okay time to talk about what all the people are talking. Ospreay, Moné and Okada are huge signings with different goals and characteristics in TV and that boost AEW with excitement.
We are talking about three of the best wrestlers in the world, and actual shoker with Okada leaving his home New Japan Pro Wrestling to try out luck in TV wrestling in the United States. Ospreay ending an all timer run in Japan. Mercedes Moné proving her worth and creating a new landscape in wrestling.
Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada have already strong character work, Ospreay as the biggest babyface in AEW with Swerve and Okada as one of the top heels with now a belt to build upon. Moné is still TBD but I think she will find her spot at the top of the card in short time.
AEW in 2023 almost lost me as a fan, but 2024 has show me that they are back not only from last year, they are trending to get back to 2021 and listen, maybe it can be better than that mythical year.
