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I’m a lot more excited about AEW right now, and there are a few big reasons why

Pabio November 9, 2024

I love AEW. That’s what brought me back to professional wrestling after years of ignoring it.

That said, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’ve grown tired of the brand for a few years. I wrote articles about what I thought was wrong with AEWbut after being more fascinated with the product than ever in recent weeks, I want to write about all the things I currently find awesome about AEW!

Because honestly, I’m now back into everything the title belt changesin addition to being all-in (see what I did there?) when it comes to the next PPVs. In other words, I am SO back in AEW! Here’s why.

Bobby Lashley raises his hands in the air in AEW. — (Image credit: AEW)

First of all, Bobby Lashley and The Hurt Syndicate are a big deal

You know, last time I looked WWEThe Hurt Business was tearing him apart. With the MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashleyand Cedric Alexander, The Hurt Business were one of my favorite factions during the ThunderDome era.

And then, they weren’t. Shelton Benjamin was released from WWE in 2023, and MVP and Bobby Lashley’s contracts expired in 2024. Cedric Alexander, on the other hand, is still with the company.

So when Shelton Benjamin made his AEW debut with MVP in early October, the idea of Bobby Lashley reuniting with his Hurt Business brothers seemed inevitable.

And dreams came true when Lashley became All Elite in late October at Fright Night Dynamite. When he attacked Swerve StricklandI knew the Hurt Business was back in… uh, business.

But now they are the Hurt Syndicate. Even so, it’s just a different name for a similar outfit.

And I love it. I once wrote about the best tag teams in AEWand it would be really cool if Lashley and Benjamin ran through AEW as a duo. They’re adding a whole new electricity to AEW that I haven’t felt in a long, long time, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for Full Gear later this month.

An angry Jon Moxley in a white t-shirt on AEW

(Image credit: AEW)

Talon Moxley is the best Moxley

Jim Cornette doesn’t like Jon Moxleybut I do it. And, while I don’t think I would ever consider Moxley a complete face (in the same vein that I would never consider “Stone Cold” Steve Austin a complete face), I still prefer Mox when he’s a complete heel , as it is at the moment.

Moxley shocked fans by It’s all out when he turned on Bryan Danielson, putting a plastic bag over his head, which was a surprising scene, for sure. And now he’s taking the Death Riders (formerly Blackpool Combat Club) to new heights, subtracting Danielson and adding Pac and Marina Shafir to go along with Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli.

Which is totally crazy. I know there are people who like to compare AEW to latter-day WCW (I don’t see it, but I know these people exist), but a story that I prefer TO DO see AEW aping WCW is the NWO saga, in which mainline wrestlers attempt to overtake the promotion and reshape it in their own image. Death Riders have always done this, but Danielson already provided an anchor in this role because he wanted to do it. improve the rest of the locker room.

Mox, however, appears to have his sights set on usurping the brand as he senses a weakness within its ranks. He makes for a truly intimidating heel, and it will be interesting to see how the Death Riders face other heel factions like the House of Black and, yes, the Hurt Syndicate. Will they line up? I don’t know, but I’ll be tuning in week by week to see how everything plays out.

Private Party flexes with title belt in AEW

(Image credit: AEW)

A private party winning the tag team championship is so well deserved

I love the Young Bucks. This might be a strange way to start, but I find that they’ve always been willing to replace other wrestlers if that’s what’s best for the company. In the past we’ve seen some interesting teams win the belts, but I don’t think I ever envisioned Private Party becoming the tag team champions.

And I don’t know why, since they always worked hard. Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen never put in a bad performance, and they were always interesting (and fun!) to watch.

That said, they have also been somewhat of a jobber during their careers in this promotion. For example, when Keith Lee debuted in AEW (Where was he, anyway? I hope he’s okay), he mistreated a private party all alone to immediately stand among the crowd.

Likewise, there have been other examples of private parties simply being sent to be thrown to the wolves. So it was a very pleasant surprise to see Private Party not only find themselves in a feud with the Young Bucks, but also defeat them.

I was happy when The Acclaimed (who everyone loves) became Tag Team Champs, but I’m even happier that Private Party finally got their chance to shine. Just as the crowd chanted their victory, they “deserve it.” Oh, and speaking of crowds…

Tony Schiavone with a mic in AEW

(Image credit: AEW)

The crowds are still electric

One thing that has made me a little depressed about AEW is the internet.

Yes, I know, I know. I should just look at the product and not let the naysayers and disbelievers ruin my mood, but it’s hard when people post photos of sparsely populated arenas with lots of empty seats.

This obviously sapped my enthusiasm psychologically, as it made me think AEW was running out of steam. It’s just one of the many reasons I’ve been worried about the brand.

But honestly, AEW is apparently in a better place now than I thought. The promotion recently signed an agreement with MAXand they don’t look like they’ll be closing their windows anytime soon.

That said, it is the crowds themselves, however small they may be, that give me hope.

The fans seem more excited than ever, and even though I haven’t been as busy promoting as before, the crowd seems to have never stopped being busy. They always bring the business to life. All you have to do is listen.

Jon Moxley watches Bryan Danielson at AEW WrestleDream

(Image credit: AEW)

I feel like AEW has finally realized that they don’t need to compete with WWE anymore and are now doing their own thing

Finally, and this is an important point for me, but I really feel like AEW is really coming into its own. I know this might seem strange since AEW keeps acquiring former WWE stars, but I don’t know. There is now something very different about the product that I think is palpable.

Maybe it’s the plastic bag on the head to Bryan Danielson who led me to this conclusion. I recently watched the Vince McMahon documentary on Netflixand while it reminded me of how wild WWE was, I don’t think there was ever a time when WWE would have allowed a wrestler to do to Danielson what Moxley did.

Now, would I ever allow my kids to watch AEW? Absolutely not, because no matter how smart my kids are, I would never want them to understand that putting a plastic bag over someone’s head is safe in any way. But, if anything, it takes me back to the days of ECW, where every spot seemed like it could end a person’s career (if not their life).

I really think AEW finally decided to abandon the idea of being an alternative to WWE and instead decided that they didn’t have to compete with their biggest competitor. Their core audience is still there and they seem to be here for the long haul.

But what do you think? Are you still a fan of AEW? For more news on all things AEW, be sure to stop by here often.

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I’m a lot more excited about AEW right now, and there are a few big reasons why

First of all, Bobby Lashley and The Hurt Syndicate are a big deal

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I’m a lot more excited about AEW right now, and there are a few big reasons why

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