Greetings, dear wrestling fan. I believe we have been here before – on this very topic – on this very website. As Tony Khan closes in on finalizing a new TV deal with WBD, and with AEW’s largest annual event just around the corner, Fall could be the best time to pull the trigger on answering a question that seems to split many fans down the middle.

An AEW brand split. 

And look, there are reasons for this to exist and not to exist. From “internal competition” to overexposure and oversaturation; I get it. Plus, you risk turning AEW into “WWE-lite” in the yes of some fans. But if there is one case to make as to why a brand split would actually work as we approach AEW’s 5-year anniversary, it is this:

The product would be more organized. And this is especially useful for casual wrestling fans, or fans that are only checking in here and there.

But there’s more to it, and with that, let’s dive in.

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Dynamite is (kind of) the Only Show Worth Tuning in For

This is quite the conundrum right? But we all know it’s true. This isn’t to disparage the work of Collision regulars like Thunder Rosa, Deonna Purrazzo, FTR, House of Black, Hologram, etc., but let’s face it — nobody is really going out of their way to watch Collision.

Anything major that happens in AEW tends to happen on Dynamite.

Yes, we know Christian’s Patriarchy is running a weekly angle on Collision, and the Rosa/Purrazzo feud just had their Texas Bull Rope match; but it’s not on the levels of Will Ospreay vs. MJF, or Swerve Strickland vs. Bryan Danielson, is it?

In WWE, Smackdown was treated, and has been treated, as just as important as Raw. We just don’t get that same vibe with Collision, do we? And I don’t care about TV ratings, because in a few years they won’t matter anyway as the world shifts to streaming. Saturday night is a tough spot to be in and AEW does well for their timeslot.

However, if Collision was treated with the same level of care as Dynamite, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

Put it this way: Would you rather have all of your stars on one show (Dynamite), with the occasional appearance on Collision, or separate them so we have an equal amount of stars on each show?

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AEW Has Too Many Main Event Talents

Swerve Strickland,  Will Ospreay, “Hangman” Adam Page, MJF, Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Jay White, Kenny Omega (once he returns), Adam Copeland (pre-injury) — and these are just SOME of the male main event talents. You’re telling me there’s a logistical way to feature them on every show every week?

Bullshit.

This doesn’t even assess Mercedes Mone, Britt Baker, Toni Storm, Willow Nightingale, Mariah May, Kris Statlander, etc.

Arguably, most of these names could headline a weekly show with little issue. But in a game of musical chairs, somebody will always lose a seat, and this is happening all too frequently in AEW. And this list doesn’t include the names that could or should be in the upper-card/main event level.

Names like Malakai Black, Konosuke Takeshita, Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe, and even Ricky Starks (if he wasn’t hell-bent on becoming a future NXT Champion).

By splitting a few championships, and a few major talent pools, this can be easily pulled off. Do we need a draft to make this work? Well…

Shane McMahon anyone?

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Here Comes the Money?

The recent meeting between TK and Shane McMahon  could be a giant nothing-burger, but Shane McMahon in AEW would be a logical step towards a true brand split. This is pro wrestling, after all. Let’s make everything as big as we can, and batshit insane when it allows. Shane McMahon brought into “run” Dynamite would create an interesting scenario where Tony Khan focused on Collision, and another crew on Dynamite.

In fact, doing this in real life and in story, might be the way to go — at least the idea of giving Tony Khan a slight break to focus on just one weekly show.

It would be crucial, and I emphasis the word crucial, that AEW maintain its wrestling-focused identity throughout. AEW tells stories through nuance, inside of a wrestling ring, and not so much outside of it or through mic-work. That cannot change. 

But would this give AEW a needed boost, Tony Khan a slight break, and casual or lapsed fans a reason to tune back into the product? This also gives opportunity for guys like Okada to have proper singles feuds with his championship, as well as a few others who probably aren’t on TV as much as they could be.

Let’s see what a brand split looks like. 

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The New Dynamite

Main Attractions:

Men:

Swerve Strickland | Maxwell Jacob Friedman | Jay White | Kazuchika Okada | Malakai Black | Jon Moxley | Adam Copeland | Daniel Garcia | Christian Cage | Sammy Guevara | Samoa Joe

Women: 

Mercedes Mone | Mariah May | Jamie Hayter | Britt Baker | Thunder Rosa | Kris Statlander | Kamille | Julia Hart | Skye Blue

Tag Teams:

FTR | Gunn Club | The Acclaimed | HoB | Private Party | MxM

Championships: 

World (both men’s/women’s) | Continental | TBS | Tag Team (both) | Trios

Authority Figure: Shane McMahon

Possible feuds: 

Swerve vs. Jay White | Okada vs. MJF | Black vs. Moxley | Mone vs. Rosa | Baker/Hayter vs. Hart/Blue | Gunn Club vs. House of Black

Notes: This continues to be the show where there is an “anything could happen” environment; especially with Shane at the helm. If it’s not Shane, it doesn’t even have to have an authority figure. You still focus on the in-ring, and you might lean a little more on the promo and chaos, given that you have great promo people on the show.

Both world champions will travel between Dynamite and Collision to continue ongoing feuds.

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The New Collision

Main Attractions: 

Men:

“Hangman” Adam Page | Will Ospreay | Kenny Omega | Darby Allin | Bryan Danielson | Konosuke Takeshita | Powerhouse Hobbs | Orange Cassidy | Jack Perry | Adam Cole | Ricochet?

Women: 

Toni Storm | Willow Nightingale | Deonna Purrazzo | Hikaru Shida | Saraya | Riho | Queen Aminata | Athena

Tag Teams:

Young Bucks | Top Flight | BCC | The Outrunners | Von Erichs

Championships: 

World (both men’s/women’s) | International | TNT | Tag Team (both)

Authority Figure: Tony Khan (off-screen)

Possible Feuds: 

Page vs. Ospreay | Takeshita vs. Omega | Cassidy vs. Perry | Allin vs. Cole | Nightingale vs. Purrazzo | Storm vs. Athena | Top Flight vs. Young Bucks | BCC vs. Von Erichs

Notes: Similar to the current show, Collision does remain more wrestling focused than Dynamite. However, we see more of the storytelling play out inside of the ring and in hectic backstage segments over an in-ring monologue. The talents on this show are well-known draws, but most of your top names aren’t brilliant on the mic like an MJF or Swerve Strickland. Accentuate the positives; hide the negatives.

Both world champions will travel between Dynamite and Collision to continue ongoing feuds.

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So…?

Thoughts?

If we separate the main event talent instead of concentrate them onto one show, could we see more great stories play out like May/Storm?

I really do believe the show would be a little more organized, and it splits the large pool of main event talents to have their own focused stories in their own show. I know some hardcore AEW fans may roll their eyes at this idea, but as diehard of a fan as I personally am, I also recognize the need for organization when it comes to booking your stories and top talents.

It doesn’t mean “turning into WWE”. AEW will need to keep their wrestling-focused identity and nuanced storytelling throughout. But you give top talents more time with more opportunities to tell stories. In addition, fans, either watching or attending live, know who and what to expect.

The “soft” brand split when Punk was on Collision simply didn’t work. It’s either a hard split, or no split (world champions being the exceptions). But it’s telling when talents like Starks, Lucha Bros, Wardlow, and others, are likely leaving to head to WWE — and AEW really won’t be hurt by these absences at all.

AEW has too much talent. It’s time to split and organize them for the sake of the talents themselves, casual and lapsed fans, and even AEW fans alike.

-TKW
tokusenwrestling@yahoo.com

P.S. I didn’t mention Rampage, because unfortunately, I just do not care about that show. And this is coming from someone who is considered an uber mark who spends a lot of money on the product. I’m sort of hoping Rampage quietly goes away once the TV deal is announced…