I ended up watching the lion's share (a most divisive share, to be sure) of Full Gear. My thoughts? Remember when Steve Austin was such a convincing heel that Vinnie Mac had to switch him face? The crowd loved him too much. Thus, the anti-hero was born (in wrestling anyway). Well, there is now a new addition to the pro-grappling vernacular - the anti-heel. I want accreditation for the mint.
I've bitched before about Tony Khan's "inside" style of booking, an approach that invalidates the common fan. And we've seen the ratings stagnate as a result, not that I'm particularly enthused about being right. There are a couple of new champions in AEW that seal the deal. Jamie Hayter! I've been a fan for years, and you better believe that she deserves gold around her waist. But she's a heel. She defeated a babyface Toni Storm and won plaudits from the smarks in attendance. Heels are simply cheered in 2022, logic be damned. MJF is facing a similar reaction.
Fans either don't respect the storyline or - and this is the more likely scenario - they don't respect the brass. Tony is making shit up as he goes along and everyone knows it. How does this help inveigle the person who just wants something to watch on Wednesday nights? Y'know, the bloke who could be a prospective member of the rasslin' army? It doesn't! Your product needs to make sense, and arenas teeming with dundertwerps (again, accreditation) cheering for a dude nicknamed The Devil Himself doesn't make sense on the surface.
It's frustrating because I still consider myself to be an All Elite advocate. Stardom and NJPW are hosting a cross-promotional event soon, possibly as I type. That's going to be sick.
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