Currently, in the land of the elite, one could make the case that AEW is firing on all cylinders right now…

Okay, most cylinders…

No show is perfect, but if you want some quick bullet points on some good to great things happening in AEW right now, I have a list to get us started:

-Smaller venues:
Did you see that gorgeous and intimate venue last night? This is not only what critics have asked for, but AEW fans themselves have asked for in the move to smaller arenas. And keep in mind that for the setup, Dynamite was a near sell out last night.

It’s working. The show felt important, the crowd was hot, and the notable alternative vibe was there.

-The return of Samoa Joe
The king has returned!

-The Dynamite debut of Megan Bayne
You might want to sign her before WWE does!

-Omega and Ospreay?
The Cleaner and The Aerial Assassin teaming up to fight evil? Shut up and take my money!

-Ricochet’s Serial Killer Era
We’re finally seeing character development out of Ricochet and it didn’t happen in WWE? Who would have thought it?

-Harley Cameron on weekly TV
Feel the Wrath! More please!

-May vs. Storm II
The rematch in a PPV setting in Australia! LFG!

-MJF vs. Jarrett
This could actually be good?! You have my attention…

-The Death Riders
This sucks! Oh wait…

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Why We’re All Tired of the Death Riders (it’s not “good” heat)

Right now, AEW is equivalent to having a slew of tasty appetizers, salads, drinks, and side dishes at a given meal — but the entree is an absolute fucking disappointment. And the entree happens to be a purposely undercooked steak, seasoned with a mix of spices that do not go well together, and garnished with a kosher pickle.

It doesn’t make sense. While I think the heart of this story is in the right place, the execution has been less than satisfactory. As a fan, am I seeing a purpose from the Death Riders on a weekly basis, or am I just seeing a group of tough guys throwing their weight around?

What exactly have the Death Riders taken over? What exactly have they proven by keeping the AEW World Championship in a briefcase? Is there an honest difference between the Death Riders and just some random group of bullies that look like they belong in a biker gang?

It was a nice try, but let’s get back to the simple 1v1 storylines for world championships. The story is no longer serving anyone involved. It’s not helping Claudio or PAC grow in their roles. Yuta will likely turn on the group if Danielson arrives in this angle, but it’s almost too little too late at this point — and Moxley — he’s undoubtedly doing some of the best work in his career right now. 

But it unfortunately happens to be at the wrong time and in the wrong storyline. This ain’t it, legend.

The entirely of this story is not serving anyone involved, nor is it serving AEW as a whole anymore. And as someone who is a bit of a purist like myself, I’d rather actually see the AEW World Championship and not have it relegated to a briefcase.

So we need a pivot — and FAST…

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The Only Pivot That Makes Sense

So where do we go from here? We could have had an upset last night and a complete change of pace with a Hobbs victory, but this predictably didn’t happen.

We know that the likely end to this angle is a Darby Allin victory at Revolution over Moxley, with Christian Cage cashing in afterwards to rip the title away in uber-heel fashion.

That’s fine. But it’s just “fine”.

But let’s pivot to a big ‘what if’…

What if through Saturday’s match, and ongoing stories, we get Copeland vs. Moxley for the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam: Australia. Honestly, this is a good matchup. Two veterans, two big names, at a big show. And while we assume Moxley would come out victorious, what if THIS is where Bryan Danielson makes his return?

He costs Moxley the match against Copeland, and Adam Copeland is your new AEW World Champion.

…for a hot second.

Until Christian Cage cashes in his title shot, shenanigans ensue, and Cage becomes the new AEW World Champion.

Christian Cage has again screwed Adam Copeland out of AEW gold, nearly exactly how he did it at World’s End 2023 when he screwed Copeland out of the TNT Championship. The story perfectly lines up here.

As for Revolution…

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AEW Revolution 2025

Disclaimer: Fantasy booking ahead…

With the return of the American Dragon at Grand Slam, we now have a matchup at Revolution: Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson. The stipulation: If Danielson loses, he must fully retire — if he wins, the Death Riders must disband. 

And enter Wheeler Yuta’s change of heart to side with Danielson to help the American Dragon win the match, thereby disbanding the Death Riders so PAC can finally put on a pair of pants. Earlier that night, Claudio, PAC and Yuta drop the Trios Championships to The Conglomeration. This essentially gives the Death Riders a send-off where they can regroup and come back as something else entirely (or not at all in that form).

And do we have Cage vs. Copeland, two 50+ year-olds in the main event of a show called “Revolution for the AEW World Championship?”

No. And here’s how to accomplish this. 

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Darby Allin Should Win the World Championship at Revolution

When Cage cashes in his title shot, it’s important that he “re-injures” the leg of Copeland, thereby putting him out of action for a month or so. However, as a former champion, Copeland has a rematch clause written into his contract. He then hands that guaranteed title shot over to a returning Darby Allin, fresh off of his hike to Mount Everest.

Darby Allin and Christian Cage already have a history together, so this match sets itself up. And while FTR will no doubt have the back of Darby Allin, they’re cancelled out by Nick Wayne and Kip Sabian when it comes to numbers. So we’re on equal footing, but Christian Cage is still Christian Cage…

Enter Sting.

He makes his return at Revolution to help Darby overcome the odds, to give Darby Allin the win, and his first, and well deserved, AEW World Championship.

End scene.

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Know When to Fold Em’…

As Danielson himself said in reference to a Kenny Rogers song — “you have to know when to hold em’, know when to fold em'” — and it’s time to do just that with this Death Riders story and start with a fresh deck.

Tony Khan has pivoted before, so he’s not naive to changing things up last minute. I’m not sure of the full plan for this current storyline, but I fear it could last until Blood & Guts and beyond, and that’s just not good for literally anyone.

I can’t say that the angle has had an affect on attendance or other numbers. AEW Revolution is selling well, Grand Slam: Australia will be well attended, and even World’s End 2024 held the third largest PPV buyrate of the year.

But a lot of us “sickos” are just getting tired of the main event storyline. There’s a lot of good stuff cooking in AEW right now — but this main event story just ain’t it. And many wrestling fans tune in for the main event, much like how they go out to a fancy dinner for the entree.

There would be plenty of great feuds Darby could find himself in as All In: Texas approaches. Darby vs. MJF, Darby vs. Page, the possibilities are there. But before all of that, we need to get the title OUT IN PUBLIC, and off of Moxley immediately. This story isn’t clicking, even for a diehard like myself.

Let’s bury this. Now. Sorry, Mox.

-TKW
tokusenwrestling@yahoo.com