AEW needs captivating storytelling across the board. That doesn't mean begin every show with 20 min. promos like Raw, but give the viewer more than chaotic randomness. "Eating good tonight" doesn't translate to more fans when you're being fed empty calories. I made a list several months ago on how AEW could improve and of course nothing has changed but I'll go through some of these again:
1) Take control and be a man. In other words, don't be afraid to say no because you're a mark fan and think you'll hurt a wrestler's feelings. Letting Jericho have four segments on a two hour show is insane, as is allowing a 50 year old to fall from 15+ ft., breaking his leg. Some fans said, "How can TK tell Copeland, an experienced vet and legend, no?" HE'S THE GD BOSS AND OWNER. JUST SAY NO. AEW isn't Copeland's company last I checked. Tony is afraid to stand up to his heroes. That's a huge issue. Maybe it's why he hugs them so tightly and places his head against their chests. You're an adult, shake a hand and stop acting like you're a child meeting Santa.
2) Have a roster split, even if it's through social media. Most fans want to know who is working what show every week. It's uniform and simplistic. For ten weeks, wrestler X will be on four Dynamites, two Collisions, one Rampage, and off tv completely for the remaining three weeks. That's sloppy and confusing. It leads to even hardcore fans asking, "Where's he?", "Where's she?"
3) End the rankings. Punk convinced TK to stop because this isn't football. Once he was fired, TK brought them back and within two weeks wasn't using them again. They haven't been updated in months and randoms get title matches out of nowhere. I don't care if you're 5-1 on butt trash Rampage, that doesn't mean you get a title shot on the A show now.
There's more but it's not like any of it matters. AEW has actually done really well despite Tony and some of the wrestlers he's chosen to listen to. They're just not "cool" anymore. MJF isn't cool like The Rock or Roman. Neither is Moxley. The Bucks and Perry are lame. The world champion was an afterthought for weeks because of a take over storyline that fans have ran away from. Guys like The Acclaimed went from white hot to ice cold. They could've been a version of The New Age Outlaws for a new generation. God bless, there's just so much more but I've already written a novel here.
