Mistakes AEW has made in 2024 (so far)

2024 has been a year of ups and downs for AEW so far, with some big names joining the company like Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone and Kazuchika Okada, some all-time great PPVs in Revolution and Dynasty, and also the typically high quality between the ropes.

However, not everything has gone completely well and during the first half of the year 2024, AEW has made some mistakes. Whether it’s a bad booking, a creative decision, or something else, Tony Khan and AEW as a whole sometimes haven’t made the best decisions, just like any other wrestling company. Here are the most obvious of those mistakes.

AEW should have done everything possible for the acquisition of The Elite

The potential for a momentum-changing story has been wasted

• When The Elite attacked Tony Khan, the angle felt huge.
• The power struggle might have piqued fans’ interest.
• The story has started to fall apart a bit.

It’s been a while since AEW had an angle that was sure to bring fans back to TV every week. Elite taking over AEW was the best opportunity in years for AEW to find a spark to climb back up the ladder.

Instead of going full force on The Elite’s control over AEW, it was only a matter of weeks before Tony Khan returned and began the power struggle, which didn’t feel as big as one might have expected. This should be something embodied in every show with suspense, twists and more, but it feels like any other story. It hasn’t been bad by any means, but it had much more potential.

The slow introduction to Mercedes Mone’s career in AEW was a mistake

Mone is one of AEW’s biggest signings

• It has been rumored for months that Mone would come to AEW
• They gave him an entire show dedicated to his debut.
• The first months were too slow

Mercedes Mone’s initial introduction to AEW was fine, as she was brought to the “Big Business” edition of AEW Dynamite, which focused on her arrival. However, her first promo lacked some energy, as did her subsequent promos in the following weeks.

AEW made the decision to wait two months for their first match, which unfortunately caused fans to be hospitalized. A big, impactful angle instead of something as basic as saving babyfaces from a heel attack would have been the better choice on their first night, and it also might have changed the trajectory of the first few months of their career if they had gone further. there. different route.

Tony Khan has been too involved in AEW programming

Khan has appeared too many times

• Tony Khan has appeared on screen more regularly.
• Khan vowed never to be a part of the stories.
• Most of his appearances have left fans moaning.

When done right, Tony Khan takes AEW’s storylines into account. For example, The Elite’s attack on him was well done. However, he has subsequently appeared several times, whether helping babyfaces, getting ambushed again, or taking on talent and booking matches.

Its presence in this measure is not necessary and is setting a potentially damaging precedent in the future.

The acclaimed vs. Bang Bang Gang Feud was a disaster

AEW ruined the prestige of the trio championship

• This dispute seemed endless
• The Trios Championships have not recovered
• Both acts suffered from this dispute.

On paper, The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn taking on the Bang Bang Gang had the potential to be fun, entertaining and full of good in-ring work. Instead, this never-ending feud dragged on, had terrible content, poor promos, and the resulting matches were no good.

The AEW World Trios Championship felt like they were being held hostage here, and since this feud ended, neither act has found any kind of real momentum.

AEW shouldn’t have let Adam Copeland do his steel cage dive

Copeland broke his leg

Adam Copeland is 50 years old and has a history of leg injuries. Why someone didn’t intervene to stop someone his age from making a move from the top of a very tall steel cage is a complete mystery and is ultimately one of the company’s biggest mistakes this year.

Copeland’s AEW career was going very well, with strong feuds, great matches, and a title run for the first time in over a decade. That no one intervened and stopped him from making that move was a huge mistake, and he has taken the wind out of the sails of a glorious final race.

Chris Jericho should have been removed from AEW Television

It was a mistake not to give Jericho a break

• The fans turned against Jericho
• The “Learning Tree” trick has been random
• The FTW Championship scene has been one of AEW TV’s weakest points

The latter part of 2023 saw fans turn on Chris Jericho. In 2024, many were asking him to at least take a break from AEW programming. It was a mistake that this did not happen.

Although the character in “The Learning Tree” is better than what he was doing, he is already wearing thin. All Jericho needed was some time to fully cool off and give the fans a break, but instead, his legacy is at risk.

Will Ospreay given world championship shot too soon

Ospreay received a world title fight in less than a year

• Ospreay is undoubtedly a future world champion
• AEW should wait until Wembley
• Forbidden Door 2024 is too soon

When Will Ospreay won the International Championship, many assumed he would stay away from the World Title scene. However, Ospreay did get a title match at Forbidden Door after winning a match at Casino Gauntlet, but this seemed too quick, especially since he already has a title.

Ospreay, being one of the biggest British stars in wrestling, should only win one world title at the All In event, so if the plan ends with him winning at Forbidden Door, then it would be an even bigger mistake. Ospreay’s time will come, and with the number of top stars in AEW, Forbidden Door should have featured someone else in the main event.

It was a mistake for AEW to continue taking shots at WWE

Fan perception of AEW has been turbulent

• AEW has always taken shots at WWE
• WWE has started taking more shots at AEW
• This all feels childish.

There’s a difference between fun, healthy competition and petulant insults, and at times AEW’s shots at WWE (and vice versa) have felt a lot like that. Every time AEW does it, it risks damaging its image.

For example, Tony Khan calling WWE the “Harvey Weinstein” of professional wrestling, and Will Ospreay taking Triple H’s “routine” comments personally are examples of moments where AEW looked poor. Those at AEW might have been right in their opinions and statements, but their execution led to fans criticizing them, proving that it was a mistake.

AEW has wasted the Undisputed Kingdom faction

This act has been dead since day one

• Wardlow’s aura was completely destroyed again.
• Roderick Strong has been the only standout
• Adam Cole’s presence in AEW programming has been useless

At the end of 2023, the formation of the Undisputed Kingdom was not the most shocking angle. In 2024, things have only gotten worse. Wardlow got the annual bluff from him thanks to a push, losing a world title match only to fall into obscurity, Adam Cole has felt like a manager and overall the group has no aura to speak of.

Roderick Strong’s great work inside the ring has been the only saving grace of this act, but considering that months were dedicated to its construction, 2024 has seen a complete decline. The reservation of this entire group has been a big mistake.

One of AEW’s most controversial decisions

• CM Punk feuded with Jack Perry, leading to Punk’s departure from AEW
• AEW decided to show the footage to obtain ratings
• In the long run, it wasn’t necessarily worth it.

Jack Perry received some boost thanks to AEW showing footage of the All In match, but the damaged perception of the company wasn’t worth it. There were other ways to bring Perry back and get a push that didn’t involve centering an entire angle around a man who now works for WWE.

This will always be a divisive topic, but there is an argument to suggest that this was one of AEW’s biggest mistakes yet.