*By Request*
“Why is it that I only see you say negative things about AEW? It seems like you write about WWE every week and you praise them a lot. Is it difficult for you to admit AEW is a threat? What is so difficult about giving them praise?”
Let me say this right off jump… I am not a journalist. It is not my job to provide equal time and positivity to all wrestling promotions. I post my opinions on things, and that’s it. Some of those opinions will be of a positive nature, and others will be more negative. I have some opinions on WWE, AEW, New Japan, Pro Wrestling NOAH, TNA, and any other promotion I watch on an even semi-regular basis. Nothing more, nothing less.
With that said, I’m not sure that you’ve ever truly paid attention to my columns if you believe the things that were said there.
Do I say negative things about AEW? Yes. Again, though, I say negative things about every company when I feel negative opinions are warranted.
Do I write about WWE a lot? Yes. For one, they’re the biggest wrestling promotion on the planet, and whether you like them or not, they’re what is going to bring in the most traffic for sites like this. On top of that, this is also the biggest time of the year for WWE, so take that normal amount of traffic and amplify it. Why wouldn’t I look for opportunities to get more eyeballs on my work?
Is it difficult for me to give AEW praise? Absolutely not. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this before, but I feel that AEW has the best in-ring work, from top to bottom, than any promotion on the planet today. God only knows how many times an AEW match has taken the top spot in my Weekly Power Rankings.
Again… I like what I like, I dislike what I dislike, and I speak my mind, no matter what. I’ve always taken pride in being honest with you, the reader. I think tribalism is the dumbest thing to ever happen to the world of pro wrestling, and it wouldn’t make any sense for me to play favorites for whatever reason.
Apparently that isn’t enough for some of you, though, so I’ll play along. If you’re someone who feels I don’t give AEW the credit that you feel they deserve, this column is for you. 100% AEW content, and 100% positivity.
Let’s talk about my favorite things in AEW right now. Wrestlers I want to give flowers to, decisions I’ve enjoyed, things that help the company stand out in a crowded pro wrestling space, and so on. I’ll be listing things in no particular order, so keep that in mind.
The Overall In-Ring Product: I might as well start here, since I’ve already mentioned it. While it certainly isn’t perfect… and while WWE’s in-ring product isn’t exactly dumpster juice… I do find myself greatly enjoying AEW’s wrestling.
On any given episode of Dynamite or Collision, you’re likely to find a match that ends up being great, and is given plenty of time to work with. We’ve only gone through two months in 2026, and there has already been a few AEW television matches that are going to be listed in countless Television Match Of The Year (and perhaps Match Of The Year, full stop) lists when 2026 comes to an end.
Then you have the company’s pay-per-views. Tony Khan loves to pack as much in-ring action as physically possible on every show. Almost every match, from show opener to main event and everything in between, gets a lot of time to work with and tell a story. Their most recent pay-per-view, Worlds End, saw three matches get rated at the four-star or higher mark by yours truly, as did their efforts before that, Full Gear and WrestleDream. The show before that, Forbidden Door, saw a whopping five matches reach that level in my final grades.
If you’re a fan of what goes on inside of a wrestling ring from bell-to-bell, AEW is a promotion that is going to make sure that they give you something to enjoy time and time again.
Mina Shirakawa: Come on… you’ve seen her. You know why she’s listed here. I’ve been running this gag for so long now. I might as well keep it going.
Will Ospreay: This is a pretty easy one. If you’ve read any of my work over the last few years, you know why Ospreay is being listed here. In my opinion, he is the absolute best in-ring worker on the planet today, and he has claimed that “title” for at least three years running.
The run he has been on doesn’t even seem possible. In singles competition, I literally don’t even remember the last time Will was in a match that I didn’t enjoy. It’s one thing when you say that about someone and you’re talking about the last few months, but it’s another thing entirely when you’re talking about YEARS. All of the best wrestlers through the years, from Bryan Danielson to Kurt Angle to Chris Benoit to Ric Flair to Shawn Michaels to Eddie Guerrero and so on, have had tons of “bad” matches, even if the lack of quality wasn’t necessarily their fault.
I’m very intrigued to see how he handles his return to the ring after a serious neck injury. Does he return to the ring with an increased passion and desire to show the world why people feel he’s the best wrestler alive? Or… does he return to the ring having to tone it down in an effort to prevent his career from being shut down earlier than anyone would like? Hopefully, we find out the answer here sooner than later. As good as the AEW roster is, Ospreay’s presence is still missed.
Thekla: When she first signed with AEW, I wasn’t sure what to expect. She’s so different than what the North American wrestling fan is used to with women in wrestling, from the way she wrestles to the way she cuts promos to the way she looks, etc. Please don’t take that as a knock on her in any way. It’s more a commentary on how comfortable we, as wrestling fans, can be with things that we’re used to.
I’m glad to see that she has thrived since arriving. Eight-and-a-half months after making her AEW debut, she is the AEW Women’s Champion, and seems to have found her groove with the mixture of her in-ring work and her character work. She has proven that she “belongs” in AEW, and looks to be a top-tier talent for years to come.
A Loaded Main Event Scene: MJF is the current AEW World Champion. He is currently scheduled to face “Hangman” Adam Page at Revolution on March 15th. Names like Swerve Strickland, Kenny Omega, Brody King, and Andrade El Idolo have all been involved in the World Title picture recently in one way or another.
Samoa Joe, the man MJF defeated to win the title, is currently out of action after being placed in the company’s concussion protocol, will undoubtedly want his belt back when he returns.
The aforementioned Will Ospreay has his sights set on the AEW World Title when he’s able to return to the ring.
Adam Copeland, Bandido, Christian Cage, Chris Jericho (if he remains with AEW), Claudio Castagnoli, Darby Allin, Jack Perry, Jon Moxley, Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, Ricochet, Shelton Benjamin, Tommaso Ciampa… all names that could compete for the World Title tomorrow without anyone questioning the move.
I haven’t even mentioned names like Bobby Lashley, Adam Cole, Jay White, and Wardlow, who are all on the shelf with injuries, but who could also enter the World Title picture upon their returns without having anyone complain much. Hell, throw Keith Lee in this group, too.
That’s an embarrassment of riches. It might even be too much. However, for all of the negative talk about AEW having too many championships, that’s where that depth is benefitted greatly. Obviously, there can only be one man who holds the World Title, but when there are six other men’s titles (including the Tag Team and Trios) to compete for, it really helps, especially when AEW treats their titles as really big deals.
Rowdy Live Crowds: This is another thing that I’ve praised AEW for a million times in the past. No matter where AEW is having a show, and no matter how big the venue they’re running is, you’re going to hear their crowds. They’re loud, they’re passionate, and they’re vocal.
I don’t care where you stand on the “fuck ICE” chants… the fact that they’re even happening in the first place is because of how wild AEW fans are. That type of thing isn’t happening at WWE shows, and even if it did, the chant would be muted and eradicated in the blink of an eye.
There have been so many episodes of Dynamite or Collision (even back to the days of Rampage) that featured an attendance number barely in the four-figure range, but when you watch the show on television, it sounds like there are at least five times more people in the arena than there actually happens to be. I hope that never changes, no matter what happens with AEW in the future.
“Timeless” Toni Storm: Even in today’s wrestling scene, when women’s wrestling has come a LONG way since the days of Bra & Panties Matches, there isn’t a ton of character work when it comes to the women in the sport. Look at someone like Iyo Sky, who many feel is the best in-ring performer in all of women’s wrestling today. As great as she is… what would you say her true character is? A lot of women in wrestling today are either racial stereotypes, “hot chicks,” or a mixture of both.
Not “Timeless” Toni Storm.
We’re two-and-a-half years in since she debuted the “Timeless” character, and I continue to be amazed at the work and the effort she puts in. She completely becomes lost in the “Timeless” character. The hair and makeup, the accent, the promos, the way she walks, the way she moves in the ring… Toni Rossall is gone for those moments when she’s out there, and I will always appreciate the work she puts in to make it happen.
Kazuchika Okada: In my opinion, Okada is one of the ten best in-ring performers in pro wrestling history. Seeing him on a regular basis in a company that isn’t New Japan is cool all by itself. As I’ve mentioned in my columns, though, my favorite part of seeing Okada in AEW is knowing he’s making more money than ever, but to wrestle a much less grueling schedule. That New Japan schedule is insane, especially during tournament times, where Okada would shine on a yearly basis. For example, Okada wrestled 32 matches for AEW in 2025. In 2023, his last full year with New Japan, he wrestled 36 times… before the month of April was done. 2022 saw him wrestle 32 matches over the course of a 67-day period because of the G1 Climax tournament and the Burning Spirit tour.
I’m all for him getting his bag and preserving his mental and physical health while he’s at it. I’ve seen so many complaints that he’s being “wasted” in AEW, but I don’t agree with that whatsoever. He has more than earned this reduced schedule, and he’s also more than capable of having Match Of The Year candidates when his number is called.
Intimate Settings: I swear that this isn’t sarcasm or an attempt at a backhanded compliment, so I apologize if it comes across as such. No, I actually enjoy the fact that AEW runs smaller buildings and has less people in attendance for the average show than WWE does.
Smaller venues allow for AEW to find different looking, and more unique, settings for their shows, and it comes across very well on television. Don’t get me wrong… I certainly enjoy when they run the bigger venues like when they run the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, The O2 in London, or when they do stadium shows for All In. However, when they do shows at the ECW Arena, Hammerstein Ballroom, Boston’s MGM Theater, Daily’s Place, or Arena Mexico, they IMMEDIATELY grab your attention when you tune in.
The added bonus, of course, is what I mentioned earlier… AEW crowds are insane, no matter what. They can run a small building, bring in “only” 2,000 fans, but it will still look and sound great on television. If you don’t have access to things like the WrestleTix account, you’d have no idea how many people are in attendance at AEW shows, because it always sounds like a lot.
In an ideal world, AEW would continue to mix things up like that in the future. Run the unique venues that WWE wouldn’t touch, and then throw the occasional NBA-sized arena in here and there for pay-per-views for major television episodes, while keeping the stadium theme for All In.
Now that I’ve said all of these positive things about AEW, I’m half expecting to hear from someone who will accuse me of being one of those “sicko” fans that Tony Khan loves so much, and that I’m a WWE hater. I hate tribalism. So, so much.
Now, let’s switch things over to my Weekly Power Rankings before closing things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Jack Perry, The Young Bucks, Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz vs Ricochet, Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun & FTR: For all intents and purposes, this was an Anarchy In The Arena match without it being called Anarchy In The Arena. Pure, unadulterated chaos from beginning to end. One of those matches that makes me eternally thankful I don’t have play-by-play duties in my columns, because there isn’t a chance I’d be able to keep up with everything that is happening.
CM Punk vs Finn Balor: Two of the absolute best of their generation. A red hot crowd. One of the top titles in all of pro wrestling on the line. Very enjoyable stuff here. If there’s a complaint to be made, it’s probably that nobody gave Finn any sort of realistic chance of winning the title. As great as Finn is, Punk vs Roman Reigns is the big money match at WrestleMania, and WWE isn’t going to screw that up less than two months away from Mania.
Women’s Elimination Chamber: Non-stop action, with all six women getting a chance to shine and look good. On top of that, the right woman won. What’s not to like?
AJ Styles: First, we got an extremely well done video package looking back on AJ’s career. Then, we got a good retirement speech from AJ in front of his friends, family, coworkers, and fellow Georgians. Finally, we got the surprise announcement that AJ will be a member of the WWE Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2026. Good stuff all around.
Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky vs Nia Jax & Lash Legend: I really like how WWE has been bringing Lash Legend along on the main roster. Putting her with Nia Jax was a brilliant move, and the team of The Irresistible Forces looks like they should have a dominant run together. Putting the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles on them here made sense, telling the story of a downward spiral for Rhea Ripley as she continued trying to get a marquee match at WrestleMania. Obviously, she would earn that marquee match 24 hours later at Elimination Chamber, but my point remains.
Seth Rollins: Yes, The Vision has been completely cursed as a stable. It’s still good to have Seth back, though. He’s still one of the best wrestlers in the world, so it’s only an improvement to the overall product when he’s around. Now, we just have to wait and see how cursed The Vision actually is. We know that Bronson Reed won’t be back before WrestleMania, so he’s out as a possible opponent for Seth in Las Vegas. We don’t know if Bron Breakker will be back by then, although there is hope. Rollins vs Breakker at WrestleMania is the bigger match for everyone involved. I have no doubt that Rollins vs Logan Paul would be fun, but Breakker needs to be the option. For one, we’ve already seen Seth and Logan face each other at WrestleMania. Most importantly, though, it was Bron that attacked Seth in the first place, kayfabing the reason that Seth has been out of action. We’ll see what happens.
Brody King vs Mark Davis: Two big ol’ burly dudes beating the hell out of each other for a while. Sometimes, you need a match like that, you know?
Men’s Elimination Chamber: You could say that it got a bit overbooked at the end, with a total of three different people that weren’t in the match coming out to interfere (or at least attempt to interfere), but I still enjoyed the match. I also liked the fact that we got a bit of a surprise winner. Not a shock winner, but a surprise winner. Everyone was sure Cody Rhodes would win, but we got Randy Orton instead. As we learned in the Elimination Chamber post-show, though, Cody has a Undisputed WWE Title shot on this week’s episode of Smackdown, so there’s still plenty of potential for the WrestleMania card to shift a bunch of times.
Jon Moxley vs El Clon: I’m not sure that the match needed to go as long as it did, but it’s a minor quibble based on the status of both men, and not the quality of the match itself. Moxley seems to be determined to pull up as many people as he can recently, working with a bunch of people who are “lesser” than he is, and having banger after banger with all of them.
Tomohiro Ishii vs Andrade El Idolo: I feel like I’m going to be asking something like this every week, but have we finally reached the stage in Andrade’s career where he can be trusted enough to have a major spot in an American wrestling promotion? Before anyone says anything, yes, I’m aware that he spent a little over four months as the NXT Champion, but I said what I said. He is on one of the biggest in-ring rolls of his entire career, and all the pieces of the puzzle seem to be coming together.
Ethan Page vs Myles Borne: “All Ego” has done so much to boost the profile of the NXT North American Title. His 273-day reign tied with Oba Femi for the longest reign in the seven-year history of the championship, and he had so many good matches against a wide variety of challengers. Now that he has dropped the title, all the talk is on his potential call-up to the main roster. He’s ready. So is Myles Borne, who has come such a long way since arriving in NXT. I’m glad that he was given this opportunity, and that it happened in front of his family, as well.
Je’Von Evans vs Kofi Kingston: As a fan of Kofi Kingston, this was a lot of fun. In the late-2000’s and early-2010’s, Kofi WAS Je’Von Evans. The high-flying “rookie” that captivated audiences everywhere he went, showing all the promise in the world. I’m glad Je’Von was able to work a match with Kofi here, with multiple “eras” coming together for an entertaining clash.
AJ Lee: She is still being heavily protected, but congratulations to the brand new WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion. She and CM Punk now present as quite the power couple, with both of them holding championships as we head to WrestleMania.
Ricky Smokes & Brad Baylor: I don’t think many people were expecting a title change, but congratulations to the brand new NXT Tag Team Champions, two-thirds of The Vanity Project. It was completely out of nowhere, but now that they’ve been thrown in the deep end of the pool, it’s time to see how well they swim.
This Week’s Playlist: “Risk It All” by Bruno Mars… “Need That” by That Mexican OT… “6WA” by BigXThaPlug, Ro$ama, MurdaGang PB & Yung Hood… “B.B.B.” by Juvenile & Megan Thee Stallion… “Sweet Wahine” by Ho’onu’a… “Into Oblivion” by Lamb Of God… “Get The Message” by The Paradox… “Do It Again” by The Paradox… “Leave My Room” by The Paradox… “Bender” by The Paradox & Travis Barker… “No Strings Attached” by The Paradox… “Do Me Like That” by The Paradox… “And Then What” by Young Jeezy & Mannie Fresh… “Ridin’ Low” by L.A.D. & Darvy Traylor… “Over My Head” by Thirty Seconds To Mars… “My Guitar” by Master Peace… “Control Freak” by Broadside… “ASAP (Remix)” by Mya & 21 Savage… “Let Me Love You” by Otis Kane… “Running Up That Hill” by Placebo… “Who’s Crying Now” by Journey… “Window” by Hero The Band… “Somewhere Only We Know” by Sons Of Serendip… “How Will I Know” by Sons Of Serendip… “This Woman’s Work” by Sons Of Serendip… “Wicked” by Ice Cube… “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube… “You Know How We Do It” by Ice Cube… “Check Yo Self (Remix)” by Ice Cube & Das EFX… “Until We Rich” by Ice Cube & Krayzie Bone
