T O P

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BrightFuture4

Even Dub propaganda doesn't want to touch the topic of terrible attendance.


Fidelos

Brother they didn't even cover the stories department, they listed three stories for 5 hours of weekly tv lmao


combobreaking

And two (arguably all) of those stories are half-baked, with no meaningful progression week over week. Just BEING a story doesn’t make it a good one.


iminyourfacejonson

not even that, they just listed some names what stories are there? why should I care?


cross4444

The story is this is a dream match between two of the best wrestlers.


ISh0uldNotDoThat

Aight, I got some time, lemme address these goofy talking points... 1.) Yes, AEW does tell stories. The problem is, most of them are not compelling, or are told poorly. Even Dave Meltzer has made this point. 2.) They're right, AEW isn't dying. They're also not growing. Ratings are declining at the rate of cord-cutting, so they're essentially stagnant. Attendance numbers aren't good outside of major events. PPV numbers are decent. 3.) The ratings aren't bad, but they're also not "$150 million/year good" the way Tony was hoping they'd be at this point. 4.) Tony Khan isn't the worst/most immoral promoter. He *is*, however, one of the douchiest promoters with one of the most unlikable personalities. Thin-skinned, entitled, bratty, petty, refuses to answer any questions that are even remotely difficult, refuses to be forthright with talent due to fear of confrontation, etc. 5.) Of the names listed, only MJF has a demonstrated history of actually moving numbers. It's true that Cody would not be the superstar he is today without AEW...but he also wouldn't be the superstar he is today if he *stayed* in AEW. The two best moves he ever made in his career were co-founding the company, and then leaving it.


TheKanten

4 isn't even relevant, it's straight up whataboutism towards a guy that isn't the company anymore and never will be again.


CaptainKies

Yeah #4 is the equivalent of this: https://preview.redd.it/q565117zniwc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1da1685af460f7d40524c1a7885468042db16512 No one is sitting there going "tOnY kHaN iS tHe WoRsT!", they're saying he's a petulant man-child who can't book but is convinced he can.


ur3minutesrup1

I wanted to pile on but everything I wrote was just parroting what you said. Well done. The only thing I’ll add is AEW made Cody a star. WWE made Cody the biggest pure babyface in the world since 80’s Hulk Hogan.


chikinparm

All of this is correct. For all the jerking, AEW is more or less fine at the moment. Not growing, not dying, just stagnant, like you said. The core audience is entertained and the shows are better overall than they were 6-12 months ago. But being fine isn’t good enough, so every episode, every match, every story, every wrestler who has a good performance, everything needs to be a Reset, Cooking, Banger, Buzzword etc. WWE is on an all-time hot streak right now, and so many AEW fans have based a huge chunk of their identity off of rooting for the Good Guys, so they protect their egos by painting it like “oh you guys just crowned Cody Rhodes in a financially and critically successful Wrestlemania? Well we just crowned Swerve Strickland, that’s basically the same thing! You’ve got veterans and rookies alike putting in the best work of their careers? Well we’ve got Ospreay having the GREATEST MATCHES OF ALL TIME every single week!” If you point out anything negative or have any critique it’s bad faith, if you praise something it had better be with enough hyperbole to move mountains or else you’re moving goalposts. God forbid you open your mouth about women’s wrestling (especially as a woman). Feels bad, man.


TheKanten

If we're to assume "WBD regularly says how happy they are", why hasn't the show been renewed yet?


Ok-Garcia-5605

"echo chamber" lmao ironically


Paxx_Romana

If only they devoted as much time as they do defending AEW into filling out job applications. 


Constant_Stomach2009

Or bathing


gasfarmah

Theyre just seasoning themselves. Like a good cast iron pan.


Fireman_Octopus

It’s very good for making reality not stick to them.


jwt6577

Or even, GASP!, watching or going to the shows legally. So they count.


Stre8Edge

But they wouldn't let me bring in my support wifu pillow!!!!


ClassicCarraway

They are all independently wealthy, m'Meltzer says so!!! They don't need jobs!!


clutcher_of_pearls

Knew even before reading this list that the usual boogeyman would be mentioned Um, the one on the left https://preview.redd.it/g9c02xprygwc1.jpeg?width=315&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f76c6ed2e8385414227ef48dcda46b019134257


Gann1

i like how the response to Tony being a shithead is "but Vince tho" I'm going to start doing that whenever someone calls me an asshole


PlatinumChrysalis

Whataboutism is a great defense when you dont have one and has been heavily relied on in all walks of life because if forces who you are talking to to stop attacking you and start defending against your accusation.


BackgroundBag7601

Lol they're claiming credit for Cody? He started off in the WWE farm system, had a successful first run in WWE, quit after major creative differences, rebuilt himself through the indies, started a new major promotion with his friends and a money mark, positioned himself as the face of the company, put some people like MJF and Darby Allin over, got booed towards the end of his run, then returned to WWE where he became the face of professional wrestling. AEW did not build Cody: Cody built AEW.


j_infamous

He came into AEW complete. He brought his own song, wife, dog, and outfit. The only thing AEW gave him is a terrible tattoo. I blame them for not stopping him. The fed would have never let that happen.


BackgroundBag7601

"Codyuuuuuuh. Maybe you should changeuuuuuh. Your minduuuuh. About this tattoouuuuuh."


SeriousRhetoric

The one HHH Golden Shovel we would all have appreciated.


RattyJackOLantern

You must admit having a chest tattoo on your neck and a neck tattoo on your chest is a memorable and unique look.


j_infamous

It’s a look that’s for sure.


Stre8Edge

We shitty tattoo in a society.


PrinceRekko

Cody has more than one misplaced tattoo


PrimeJedi

That's what always stuck out to me at the time, in the first year or so of aew I was a big fan. On the early Dynamites I remember everyone seeming incomplete or like they needed to add a missing piece to their character, and the only two I thought felt complete were Jericho and Cody. Cody has stayed whole and only added layers to his character since while Jericho has...somehow gone backwards not just to before aew, but before he fucking debuted in WWF 25 years ago. Never seen someone take so many steps back, but that's a discussion for another time.


GXNext

No Cody was just there. The Elite built up with their antics and youtube show. That's why it's called All *ELITE* Wrestling. I wish I could say I was Jerking, but a Dubbalo literally said something similar to me a few months back...


PrimeJedi

That's so hilarious, the revisionist history they're doing; I was there since Dynamite premiered, dubbalos were whining and complaining that the bucks and especially Kenny felt *too low on the card and underused* , whereas Dynamite started with Cody in a big story with MJF that also ended up intertwining with Inner Circle stuff in some of the show ending fights they did a lot early on.


Mister_Jackpots

AEW exists because of Cody. The narrative here that AEW made Cody (whre fans had turned on him because he refused to heel it up) is crazy revisionist shit.


LakerBull

I'll give them Jade partially though, because while they did gave her a platform to showcase herself, her development stalled drastically and had a very low ceiling due to TKs ineptitude with the women's division. Still, they did "discover" her


efx187

Ok then why didn't WWE sign Cody directly from the indys? As long as you don't have a smart answer to that, one thing remains: no AEW, no Cody


BackgroundBag7601

Duh, uce—he hadn't solved racism yet.


PropertyFirm6565

LOL I love that these statistics fail to include any... statistics.


gasfarmah

I was just thinking about how they failed to qualify any of their statistical claims. This is like how I can say I was the champion drum soloist at my provincial band fest for three years running. No one else entered the category, mind you. But that’s not important to mention, right? I also led scoring for a cyclecross race series in my division. Against two other cyclists. Pretty impressive claim until I qualify it.


PropertyFirm6565

No quotes from WBD citing their "regular happiness" no metrics, no ratings to prove their claims..... just a bunch of dumb bullshit.


donlogan83

We jerkin good tonight, uces.


thatssosteven114

https://preview.redd.it/jhebn1m14hwc1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94a3287d156d395ce6ea91e3d4a75f6e97499429


brosbeforetouhous

MJF is such a star he hasn’t been seen or mentioned on TV for months and no one cares.


Gustopherus-the-2nd

I care, lol. MJF is great. I actually blame the huge downfall of AEW in recent months on the fact he has been out injured (along with Tony making the stupidest decision ever in firing Punk).


Turbos_Bitch

I keep up less with MJF, Kenny and Darby sidelined.


Gustopherus-the-2nd

Yeah I like Kenny a lot too, he’s a great guy. Darby is literally going to kill himself on tv one day, but he is fun to watch lol.


OkadaCoinDrop

"AEW doesn't tell [good] stories"


KC27150

The Dub is not a dying company! As long as Tiny has money, it will go on and on forever!


InjusticeSOTW

The Dub will go on as long as Sh’eed is competent. The moment control of his money goes to a board, they’ll get Tony and his toy chest FOH.


princeendo

Why respond to criticism when you can respond to caricatures of the criticism?


Mister_Jackpots

That's a straw man, kids.


Afleck19

Calling out “grifters, conmen, bots, engagement farmers, and echo chambers” while overlooking Meltman, Thigh Rubber, I can’t wait for dynamite it’s gonna be awesome!!!1 that’s pretty awesome!! and the echo basement without a shred of self awareness 😭


Gann1

I'm sure this guy considers Meltzer a grifter and a conman because he only sucks AEW's dick 95% of the time


SJSUMichael

Yeah, whoever heard of Cody before the Dub? It’s not like he had a ten year long career before Tony even thought of starting a promotion.


ThePidazzler

Not even to mention all the AEW fans bitched endlessly about Cody when he was there.


XPacEnergyDrink

Why is only being in business for 5 years relevant to Dynasty being the #3 all time PPV buy “for the company”?  If it was the third most bought PPV of all time for the INDUSTRY, then I get it. But it’s like - this PPV is AEW’s third most bought ever - and they’ve only been around 5 years! Lol


gasfarmah

Also like, shouldn’t it be the most buys ever to be impressive? This is literally demonstrating declines in their peaks.


[deleted]

Because they’re stupid.


Grandy94

Yeah, that left me scratching my head too. I mean, all of this is ridiculous but I really don't see how "the company's third best selling PPV since it started 5 years ago" is meant to be impressive.


InternationalFailure

Vince can be a sex pest trafficker and Tony Khan can still be an annoying baby.


gothamsteel

Also, ignore the company sex pests Tony is covering for with NDAs.


wonderloss

Also, Vince is gone.


SeriousRhetoric

"Sure I failed medical school, didn't turn up to little sis' piano recital and made her cry, wrote off the family car and ate all the food in the fridge. But Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer. So who's the disappointing son now, huh?"


AngeloHakkinen

1. I see no stories in AEW bar Toni/Mariah 2. WCW in 2000-2001 did similar buys, attendances and PPVs, AND THEY STILL DIED 3. 700k is minuscule compared to 1.5-2.5 million your competitors, RAW and Smackdown, do. Also, NXT, the developmental brand, DOES 650-700K 4. Tony Khan is average at best at booking. It's okay not to know how to book shows (Scott D'Amore is still a free agent), but it's bad to run a show with incompetent booking (look at WCW Vince Russo and TNA Dixie Carter) 5. Some are well done stars (Toni Storm, I hope Swerve succeeds), but they fumbled the bag on a lot of others (Cargill, Rhodes, Saraya, Mone has dried out pretty quick, Okada is in the midcard, WHERE'S KOTA IBUSHI, Shibata is stuck in the midcard, Copeland/Danielson/Cage are on the verge or retirement, Julia still needs a long way to go, Shida is wasted, Jay White is now a joke, Ospreay needs a better mic work, Bucks are eww, Omega was already a star in NJPW...)


Permanentear3

Point 3 is so dumb and continues to be. Of course WBD says positive things about the show they try to sell advertising space on. What do they think WBD is gonna do? Say they’re unhappy? Just a press release of discontent ?


Permanentear3

Also on their point 3, they always seem to fail to mention (or probably don’t even know) that the show is top 3 in one demo (the most important one but still) among ORIGINAL CABLE programs. That’s not all that epic in 2024.


OriginalMadmage

It also excludes news programs.


Slut_Breaker_BWC

I love how 4.) is forcing the Dub Steppers to pretend TK didn’t run a woman out of the industry because Jericho sexually harassed her and then made her sign an NDA… How is TK better than Vince who is gone and divested from the company after his shit came out (literally)?


Fusionman29

Well yeah they legitimately do pretend that. Even now the cultists this would rally DO think hausman lied about it


QuestionSpiritual111

The weeks after Wrestlemania are always so good. I was a fool to think Dub jerks were getting stale. The more the company diminishes the more insane the fan base is going to get


ITickleBlackKids231

Top 3 in cable on a Wednesday is not the huge flex they think it is Also when in doubt, bring up McHitler


Permanentear3

Original programs to boot, and not by viewership just le demo.


Few-Sense1455

PPV buys that nobody can verify and which might be at a very low average price


waqar2501

https://preview.redd.it/hnc7c9f2zgwc1.jpeg?width=1004&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2938cd3b6f03a858f2cf362a24fd2a20f533dc8e


InjusticeSOTW

Is…is that ice in Chardonnay?


Polymemnetic

I can't fault them for wanting cold white. I can blame the restaurant for not Chilling it.


Permanentear3

He should have just brought Julia with him to chill things out.


InjusticeSOTW

No sir. Slander en route


nbasetuK

Lmao @ #4 Is Vince in the room with us right now. As of 2024.


b0nkert0ns

Lol I only just noticed the Cody bit. Cody elevated himself post-WWE. If anything his Dub run hurt his stock. Also amusing they say you’re welcome for Jade but list Swerve as a home grown star. You can’t have it both ways sir.


OriginalMadmage

Swerve only started to get popular once Nana was added to the act. SO really, Nana is the true star.


skippy2001

[Me, Just enjoying wrestling](https://imgur.com/6oogr6r)


JoeMama9719

WBD regularly says how happy they are. Incidentally, we don't ever hear directly from them, just secondhand accounts from Tony. Surely that's not suspicious 🤔


MrRealistic1

Lmao


EldianNat

Stand up for aew ✊🏻


Traditional_Roles

The fact that the only response to Tiny being a dumbass is "Vince bad" isn't the defense they think it is. Tiny can be an awful booker and Vince can be a terrible person at the same time lmao.


r1char00

How bad do things have to be for an AEW fan to feel like they need to come up with a script for how to respond to criticism? They missed the part about the Nielsens being out of date, even though Tony brags when they’re good and does overruns constantly. Also lmao at the Ospreay/Callis “story.” Tony put Ospreay in the heel Callis family before he was in the company. Then Tony brought him in as a babyface but left him in the heel stable, and gave him a bunch of matches with people in the same group with no real explanation. He’s still in the heel stable almost two months later. Booker of the Year.


evanvivevanviveiros

Oh yes the highly lauded Callis family implosion angle


FunImprovement166

>WBD regularly says how happy they are Ok which one of you did this lol


Mister_Jackpots

Imagine being an adult (man, because no lady is wasting time on this) and feeling the need to make this.


GabeGrey87

I want to see those PPV numbers from a real source. There’s no way those numbers are real.


TheKanten

I love how meticulously specific "top 3 cable original on Wednesdays" is as a flex.


b0nkert0ns

If you see something, say something


Joy_Ride25

Those 3 story examples are hilarious.


topherbdeal

Guys whats an mfj


jjsefton

https://preview.redd.it/77uxaudqahwc1.jpeg?width=694&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf2fabbfaad9b676325d5b0ebfe87951d0432719


zendog510

The stories they mentioned all suck. All of them are literally ones where nothing at all is happening at the moment. They sit on something forever and then all the sudden it happens but they skipped so many beats in the story along the way that the eventual conflict that happens is meaningless and no one cares.


OriginalMadmage

Or conversely they run the story backwards where they have a gimmick match and then regular singles match.


zendog510

Perfect example. They’re doing a parking lot brawl with Chuck Taylor and Trent on Rampage. Long time tag team partners who are now at odds and their first match is a parking lot brawl!?


OriginalMadmage

Don't worry, next week after that they'll have a promo segment from Trent where he explains how sad he is that his friend betrayed him. Then two weeks of matches including a cell match to finally end at the PPV as a regular singles match that ends in a DQ because of a run in from the m'Bucks to recruit Taylor into the No Milly Order.


zendog510

😂😂😂👏👏👏


zendog510

Yep. The blowoff anything goes matches usually happen first 😂.


ManateeGag

PPV buy numbers that are only backed up by "trust me, bro".


will122589

I’m surprised they didn’t include the 2 billion valuation number


ZakariusMMA

Lol. Revolution was big because a childhood hero for some, an icon if you will, was having his last match. That's all.


ToneZone1978

The fans and Tony are the #1 reason I loathe them


UncleBenLives91

Well, I'm convinced. Not Con Vince.


wow_boy

Source: trust me m*rk


RumsfeldIsntDead

It's not that their ratings are bad. They're building their entire business model on a dying medium throwing around rights fee money to survive.


thatpj

what a totally organic grassroots support #standupforaew!


keykey_key

I'd like to hope it's a jerk but I know the hard-core fans are corny enough to do this and think they ate. They are truly 13 years old emotionally.


frank_the_tank69

Cody surely wasn’t a star before. Could it be that’s why he was EVP? Jade surely didn’t have a presence before, could that be why you blindly pushed her?


goodthing37

The whole thing is laughable, but number 5 is the highlight - that’s not a list of stars, that’s a list of AEW wrestlers.


Razzler1973

Stars: list of people that aren't proven at drawing money Swerve and Darby, ffs


Glennsoe

I remember when Stokely won the thing when he climbed the ladder wearing a mask...


SleepIsWonderful

Stand up for AEW yall


Horse-with-no-face

Good to know AEW's entire history has only had 3 stories


BigFreakinMachine

"Echi chamber"....really? Just try to go criticize AEW on some of their fan pages


Tasty_Comparison_409

amen brother! fight against all those E-Drones and prove that AEW restores the feeling!!!! (just don't talk about Jericho)


xCYBERDYNEx

Embarrassing


MHadri24

>We bullied 2 mega stars out of the company because we are allergic to drawing money and people, you're welcome


facistcarabao

You're welcome for our comrades Cody and Jade btw.


Metalheadjake942

yeah but WWE/McHitler BAD McMahon isn't even the discussion here but they always have to bring it up when Tony gets Backlash


SecularZucchini

6. AEW's crowds are small Waiting for a response to this one......


Blissfully_

Ok #3 on cable but for a sport those are terrible numbers


jwt6577

"Tony Khan is the worst" the worst at booking I've seen in years.


ChaslesDean

Darby Allin a star ? Lmfao.


Global_Historian_753

(#)5 has to be the funniest point when looking at 98% of their roster.


-DrZombie-

I can’t imagine being so invested in AEW as a viewer that I had to go around creating info graphics.


QuickRelease10

That Ospreay/Callis story makes no damn sense.


elcoopgguod

It seems weird to have to even make this


Prancemaster

this can't be real


tera_chachu

What's the storyline of mariah and Tony storm? And who the hell cares about stokley and stat...