Roundtable: All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
Predicting the future of Cody and the Young Bucks’ newest venture.
Are you interested in following All Elite Wrestling?
Neal Wagner: Yes, very much so. This is the shot that wrestling needed for 2019. There is no better time in wrestling than right now, especially with all companies competing for talent. Everyone is putting in bids for the same wrestlers and its letting the talent decide where they want to go. Maybe in some cases (The Revival, The Kanellis couple) talent can get out of their current contracts and go to where they see is best for them.
Juan Bautista: Yes, it’s something truly fresh and exciting. WCW, Impact Wrestling or even ROH at certain times felt like they were trying to outdo WWE at being WWE. You have to create your own brand. AEW has already announced Joey Janela, Britt Baker and other young talent. Although there are established stars in Neville and Chris Jericho, they will be presented in a new way due to more creative freedom than what they had in WWE.
John Corrigan: Absolutely. Goodwillie almost had me buying a plane ticket to Las Vegas for Double Or Nothing.
Chad Gelfand: Yes. Will AEW ever surpass WWE or compete with them initially? Probably not, but this is an exciting new endeavor that is going to be good for the wrestling industry as a whole and give wrestlers more opportunities to show off their talents.
Anthony Mahalis: I’m interested in the idea of AEW, but they need to sign some more people first.
Steven Jackson: I’m very interested in following AEW. This new venture by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks is really exciting, especially considering their position in the industry. It’s going to be a very unique time for independent wrestling, which is something I’m very passionate about.
David Gibb: I’ll certainly give it a chance! If they don’t grab me in the first few episodes, though, I’ll probably dip out and wait for the next big buzzworthy thing before checking in again.
Jack Goodwillie: Definitely. I think wrestling has been in need of something like this for a long time, and in real life, too, as opposed to EWR or TEW where I create a new promotion from scratch bankrolled by Donald Trump. It’s exciting. Tony Khan is a new name in wrestling, but seems like a smart guy and is pushing all the right buttons to galvanize the wrestling community. I can’t say I’m not intrigued.
#TwoAwesomeGuys@CodyRhodes @The_MJF #BeingTheElite #BTE – full episodes available at https://t.co/KF55ccwana#AEW pic.twitter.com/l53lmwk6i8
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) February 5, 2019
What channel/platform would you like to watch AEW on?
Wagner: I would love to see them end up on a TNT, TBS or just any other channel that is nationally televised. Some lower-end network (Impact being on Pursuit) just doesn’t cut it and not everyone with a television today gets those channels. I would especially like to see AEW strike a deal with New Japan or even Ring of Honor and stream on demand through NJPW World or HonorClub.
Bautista: In a perfect world, A&E. I would also say TBS. While some would say TNT, TBS has overtaken them as a hot spot. Depending on the deal, maybe have episodes uploaded to Fite TV like ROH does or YouTube.
Corrigan: HBO. It would be something totally different and give AEW the freedom to explore more risque storylines, as well as present matches without commercials.
Gelfand: Either TNT or TBS would be a good channel to air AEW due to both of their past histories with wrestling.
Mahalis: I don’t think that matters all that much. TBS or TNT would be good, I guess.
Jackson: Here in the U.K., I would really like to see AEW on the Fight Network, as it will generate even more viewers to their great set of programming.
Gibb: Anything on true “basic” cable sounds stupendous. Since TNA’s fall from grace on Spike, getting a wrestling show on a channel where a large mainstream viewing base can casually discover it has become the seemingly impossible dream.
Goodwillie: Great question. Do you think the CW might want to get back into wrestling? Once again, to touch on the old EWR games, my favorite network to put my show on was always the old UPN that hosted SmackDown for all those years. UPN eventually became The CW, but since it dropped WWE, it has become something of a variety network, really focused on DC super hero stuff like Arrow, The Flash, Super Girl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, etc. There is a connection there with Stephen Amell being the lead star in Arrow. But if they can’t get on the CW, an infinitely larger network than say…Pop TV, Destination America or Pursuit. AXS is a dark horse for a variety of reasons, too, but if neither of these options pan out, streaming will definitely be the way to go.
EXCLUSIVE: Chris Jericho (@IamJericho) is Officially signed to @AEWrestling #AEW #AEWRally pic.twitter.com/In6Nc96am5
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) January 9, 2019
Who was AEW’s most exciting signing?
Wagner: Chris Jericho. He brings legitimacy to AEW. If someone with the star power of Jericho can join, it will only open the door even more for future talent and a few surprise legends to come in and have maybe one last match.
Bautista: Neville or Chris Jericho. While some expected Neville to be on the international independent scene, his signing confirms that he has unfinished business in the States. Jericho was exciting due to the fact the door was open for WWE and he shut it.
Corrigan: Joey Janela and Penelope Ford. I didn’t even consider them on the radar because of Janela’s injury and the relationship being over. But I’m glad they’re going to make it work.
Gelfand: I’m excited to see what PAC can achieve in AEW. I think he’s world champion-material and I would love to see the company treat him as such.
Mahalis: Y2J. I was actually stunned to see him sign with another wrestling company, especially since he said he is in it for “the long haul.” When you have someone with deep pockets backing you like AEW does, that is always a good start. If Jericho believes in AEW, that makes me think it could be something.
Jackson: I think everyone is in agreement that Chris Jericho is the most exciting signing for AEW. Jericho’s longevity, popularity and versatility is going to be a huge benefit for AEW, and I’m excited to see what impact he will make.
Gibb: Jericho. He’s the biggest proven draw on payroll and gives them a long list of options for potential fresh main events against up-and-comers.
Goodwillie: Neville or PAC, whichever you prefer. I always thought PAC was kind of a dumb name. Regardless, remember all the speculation that was being done after PAC was confirmed to be done with WWE? Nobody’s left the company like that in a long time, so that always intrigued me. But to see him back and setting himself up to wrestle matches that matter (sorry Dragon Gate), that’s pretty cool. He’s both new-school and old-school all at the same time and I look forward to seeing how prominently he’ll be featured in AEW.
Watch @CodyRhodes make an offer to @boy_myth_legend #JungleBoy to become #AllElite #AEW pic.twitter.com/L5KUFCb4Eu
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) February 4, 2019
Who would you like to see AEW sign?
Wagner: With Brandi Rhodes, Britt Baker and Penelope Ford already starting up a women’s division for AEW, some other names like Santana Garrett, Amber Nova and Tessa Blanchard (once her Impact contract ends) can bring more variety, more character and create a strong women’s roster that could one day compete with the level of match quality in WWE.
Bautista: CM Punk, just to see what’s left. He can wrestle Adam Page, members of SoCal Uncensored, Joey Janela or even Chris Jericho for old times’ sake.
Corrigan: Dean Ambrose. After all of this speculation, I’m excited to see him in a fresh, new environment.
Gelfand: Shane Strickland. He’s done great work in MLW, Lucha Underground and CZW. He deserves to be seen on a bigger stage.
Mahalis: I’d like to see some of the WWE guys that get buried go there. Sami Zayn and The Revival can end up there, maybe Caesaro, too.
Jackson: Kota Ibushi. He really deserves it!
Gibb: Omega is the obvious choice here, so I’ll leave the creative answers to my colleagues who know the indie scene better.
Goodwillie: It definitely seems like Ty Dillinger is on the way, and definitely the Revival. As far as outside-the-box signings, Luke Harper could certainly go, as could Hideo Itami. I have heard that Chad Gable could be linked to AEW, but between guys like him, Bobby Roode and Breezango, I just think they’re WWE guys now. While they may not be used as much as they may like, it’s always a steady paycheck and they get to wrestle in front of a massive audience. And in the case of Roode, guys like that have nothing left to prove, anyway.
#WhenFrankieMetMJF #BTE #BeingTheElite
Watch the full episode here – https://t.co/IcyT7Hn5Vp@FrankieKazarian @CodyRhodes @The_MJF #AEW pic.twitter.com/mJpbixIaf8
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEWrestling) January 29, 2019
Are there too many wrestling promotions in 2019?
Wagner: Competition brings out the best in wrestling. This is the most competition in wrestling since WCW and ECW folded back in 2001. The WWE product got stale for so long because there was no competition outside of TNA in the mid-2000s. With ROH, NJPW, REV PRO, MLW and others having major access to streaming services and a more athletic talent pool, it’s not a question of is there too many wrestling promotions. It’s more is there enough time in the day to sample all of the great wrestling out there today?
Bautista: No, because each have their own unique offering. Just like being a wrestling fan in 2019. You’re not going to like every company or care to follow each company, but the company you do follow or support the most, you’re passionate about. If every company tried to be WWE, an independent scene wouldn’t exist because they would be all be rip-offs compared to the real deal.
Corrigan: Too many for me to keep up with. Right now I’m trying to watch the highlights of Raw, all of SmackDown, NXT TakeOvers, MLW, Impact, WOW, ECWA, Synergy and now AEW. When will I ever see the sun?!
Gelfand: No. More promotions means more opportunities for wrestlers to make more money and leverage the best deals for themselves.
Mahalis: I don’t think there is because there is nothing that is a serious threat to WWE as of yet. WWE has just been so stagnant recently, I hope someone can come along and make them work harder. There is no reason why Raw should be as bad as it is on a weekly basis. I’m hoping AEW can bring the best out of WWE.
Jackson: No. We need true competition to the WWE monopoly and AEW will bring that during 2019 and beyond. This is the start of something big!
Gibb: Yes. I think we’ll see at least two companies that people would consider in the top 10 go underneath (or find themselves circling the drain) by the end of 2019.
Goodwillie: Are there too many sports leagues in 2019? How about Starbucks or Whole Foods? What I’m getting at is it’s always nice when there are more places for talent to work and hone their craft. The quantity of promotions does not take away from WWE, but rather they take away from each other. This has been one of many factors bogging down RoH the last couple years, but it will be survival of the fittest (pun intended) which is how it should be.
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