Upon Further Review: AEW, WWE and Everything In Between

Some long-overdue thoughts on the current state of professional wrestling. It’s been a while since I’ve written anything for Ringside, and needless to say, professional wrestling hasn’t exactly been standing still. Between surprising arrivals, championship changes, questionable creative decisions and storylines that have genuinely caught my attention, there’s plenty to talk about.

Rather than recap everything I’ve missed, let’s get into some of the good, the bad and everything in between from AEW and WWE.

AEW

It’s a New Level, YES IT IS!

One of wrestling’s worst-kept secrets finally became reality at All In: London when Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed (formerly Xavier Woods) arrived in AEW as New Level, joining forces with Swerve Strickland to capture the World Trios Championships. This pairing is absolutely perfect and has genuinely renewed my interest in AEW. Even after losing the titles at WrestleDream, there’s plenty of potential here, whether they continue alongside Swerve or eventually branch out on their own.

The question is whether Tony Khan can capitalize on their arrival without repeating some of the same creative mistakes we’ve seen before. New Level deserves to be more than another big-name acquisition who generates headlines for a few weeks before getting lost in the shuffle.

Ospreay Is FINALLY World Champion!

It finally happened! Will Ospreay captured the AEW World Championship from Kenny Omega at All In in another installment of their storied rivalry. The match delivered, the presentation was excellent, and Ospreay’s entrance and celebration felt like the coronation of someone who should’ve been champion a long time ago. AEW finally has a world champion who, in my opinion, personifies what the company should be about.

However, the follow-up hasn’t completely won me over. At times, it has felt like another AEW championship reign where the moment itself is bigger than what follows. But I’ll give this one some time before declaring it the same old shit. Ospreay deserves the opportunity to establish himself as THE guy.

AEW’s Tag Team Division Could Be Its Greatest Strength

AEW has always taken pride in its tag team wrestling, and looking at its current roster, this division could be one of the biggest things separating the company from WWE. The Young Bucks, FTR, Motor City Machine Guns, Cope and Christian, and potentially New Level give the promotion an impressive collection of established teams and possible combinations.

Just think about some of those matchups. There’s no shortage of talent. The challenge is creating meaningful rivalries instead of throwing together dream matches simply because they look good on paper. With the Young Bucks back on top, let’s hope the rest of the division gets its chance to shine.

WWE

Money in the Bank: A Mixed Bag

While AEW has managed to regain some of my interest, WWE feels like it’s been operating on autopilot lately, occasionally struggling to read the room.

Money in the Bank was a perfect example.

Roman Reigns retaining the World Heavyweight Championship against LA Knight wasn’t surprising, but would it have killed WWE to throw us a curveball? Even a short title reign for Knight could’ve been refreshing and given the show a genuinely unpredictable moment.

As for the ladder matches, Penta winning the men’s briefcase was fine. I have nothing against him, but I would’ve preferred seeing Trick Williams or Bron Breakker win it. Both could’ve benefited tremendously from holding that contract, especially considering their respective positions on the roster.

On the women’s side, Tiffany Stratton winning was an even bigger letdown. Not because Stratton isn’t talented, but because she doesn’t need Money in the Bank to challenge for a championship. The potential cash-in on Chelsea Green already feels predictable.

Which brings me to who SHOULD have won.

Roxanne Perez Was Right There!

Roxanne Perez winning the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase would’ve been far more interesting, especially considering what happened later that night.

Liv Morgan regaining the Women’s World Championship by defeating Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer left me groaning. Here we go again. Maybe it’s Morgan herself, The Judgment Day, the repetitive storytelling or some combination of all three, but the bloom has seemingly come off the rose for me.

Another Morgan championship reign just doesn’t have the same appeal it once did. Now imagine Perez holding that briefcase, constantly threatening Morgan’s championship and possibly her leadership within The Judgment Day. The paranoia, tension and eventual betrayal practically write themselves. Instead, we’re potentially heading toward another Morgan title reign that feels all too familiar. Hopefully, WWE proves me wrong.

The Bloodline vs. The 946: Now THIS Is Interesting!

One storyline that has definitely caught my attention is the growing war between The Bloodline and The 946. Adding Jaida Parker (Ms. Parker ) to the group was a nice touch, giving the faction another personality who fits its attitude and presentation.

But the biggest surprise was Carmelo Hayes!

With all the speculation about Hayes potentially heading to AEW, seeing him emerge as part of The 946 was a welcome curveball. Joining this faction could do for Melo what The Judgment Day once did for Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio during the group’s better days. Hayes is far too talented to get lost in the shuffle, and this could be exactly what he needs. But there’s still a bigger question surrounding The 946. Who’s REALLY pulling the strings? Could Naomi be making her return? What about Jacob Fatu?

Roman Reigns’ recent comments to The Usos about Fatu make me wonder whether he could somehow be involved in the entire operation. Could he have been playing a longer game all along? Or is there someone we’re not even considering? With Survivor Series approaching, WarGames seems like the perfect setting for some answers. Just please, no unnecessary mixed-gender WarGames experiment. Keep the focus on the story and the people involved.

Punk vs. Owens: No Championship Necessary

CM Punk and Kevin Owens didn’t need the Money in the Bank briefcase because their growing rivalry already feels important enough without a championship attached. Both are exceptional at making things personal, whether through their promos, personalities or willingness to push each other over the edge.

I’m getting shades of Punk’s unforgettable rivalry with Drew McIntyre, and if WWE gives these two enough room to work, we could be in for something special. Sometimes the best feuds don’t need a title belt. They just need two people who genuinely make you believe they hate each other.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton: How Far Is Too Far?

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton continue their increasingly personal rivalry. What’s fascinating isn’t simply who eventually wins, but what Cody might become in his pursuit of getting back to the WWE Championship. We’ve seen a more aggressive and desperate side of the American Nightmare, and his recent actions suggest he might be approaching a point of no return.

The real question is whether Cody can regain what he’s lost without losing himself in the process. And knowing Randy Orton, he’ll have no problem pushing Cody even further.

Sami Zayn: An Interesting Champion Looking for Direction

Sami Zayn continues to entertain as WWE Champion, but I’d like to see a clearer direction for his championship reign. His upcoming Crown Jewel match against Roman Reigns is interesting, especially with their extensive history in the Bloodline saga. It’s another example of WWE being able to revisit an old storyline without necessarily repeating everything that came before. But after Crown Jewel, who’s next? WWE needs to establish a serious challenger and give Zayn a meaningful championship program heading into the end of the year.

Oba Femi, The Vision and Paul Heyman’s Next Move

One of the more interesting situations on Raw involves Oba Femi, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and The Vision.

Femi has established himself as an absolute force, but Breakker isn’t someone who’s going to remain outside the main event picture forever. Could Breakker eventually challenge The Ruler’s position as one of Raw’s most dominant stars? And where exactly does Paul Heyman fit into all of this?

There’s enough talent, personality and uncertainty here to create something special, provided WWE doesn’t overcomplicate it. With Survivor Series approaching and WrestleMania season not far behind, we’ll see how these pieces start coming together.

Final Thoughts

For all my criticism of both companies, there’s still plenty happening in professional wrestling that keeps me interested.

AEW has some fascinating talent and genuine opportunities to build momentum, while WWE has several compelling stories despite some creative decisions that leave me scratching my head. Neither promotion is perfect, and neither should be above criticism. Give me compelling wrestling, meaningful storylines, fresh ideas and performers being given opportunities to succeed.

That shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?

Until next time, that’s the view from Ringside.