AEW’s Potential Turnaround

It has been a little bit since I wrote something because I am taking an old approach by just watching wrestling and seeing where things go. But during this time, AEW had three big debuts with Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone, certainly putting AEW in a position to have some upward momentum.

Yeah, the road to Wrestlemania has taken most of my TV consumption, but I do make time to watch Dynamite. If they are not going to try to improve Collision, then why make time to watch? Dynamite has had some good parts and bad parts, so can Ospreay, Okada, and Mone be the impact players they are positioned to be?

My gut and mind have extreme doubt. Now, why am I doubtful? Well, it’s very simple and consistent with my stance on AEW. Most of the talent can be big time, but when everything starts and ends with Tony Khan, it might as well go up in smoke. Khan has an extensive track record of squandering talent with any buzz and potential like Keith Lee, Powerhouse Hobbs, Takeshita, Wardlow twice, Saraya, just naming a few.

So, I have no faith that things will be different this time. I’m sure I come off like a hater to the AEW faithful as well as the subsection of “fans” that Tony proudly represents, but like I’ve said before, I’m not. I would like AEW to be something, but coming up on 5 years in May, they seem to be content with how it’s been presented. So far, it has been a rocky start for the new 3. Okada aligning with the Young Bucks has not been so hot, despite winning the continental title recently, which creates some concern for him as a main eventer here in the US.

Ospreay has been worth his money, especially in promos, but having great matches is not going to be enough here like it was in Japan. The potential feuds and position are what matters and have been a bit confusing to start, but I’m hopeful Ospreay will overcome any errors as his time goes on.

Then there’s Mercedes Mone, who I would like to see this excursion pay off in some way, but there’s nowhere to go but up when it comes to the AEW women’s division, where she will be the centerpiece presumably. But how she develops on AEW TV is going to be vital to if she can prove the skeptics wrong or that those doubts are true after all.

All this along with the MJF situation, which seems to be still in the air, making the AEW faithful a little nervous, especially with Wrestlemania this weekend and the now infamous Raw after Mania where some kind of surprise happens. Could it be MJF, especially with someone from the main event group currently on both Raw and SmackDown?

Regardless, like with WWE, I am going to watch and see where things go leading up to the big Double or Nothing show. It could show potential but sorely needed turnaround or show us again that Tony Khan and his hubris are doing far more harm than good for this roster and the promotion.