There aren’t enough wacky/kid friendly acts in AEW

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

No, I’m not asking for Hornswoggle style stuff. But the emphasis on “we are serious hard hitting pro wrestling” atmosphere as of late is suffocating. I’m starting to always know what I’m gonna get on Dynamite and Rampage. Good workers wrestling, promo, beat down, spot heavy tag match, run-in after the match and a beat down. More serious promos, big new debut from the indies/recent WWE release, close with epic match.

I want AEW’s answer to the Bushwhackers, guys like Hacksaw Jim Duggan. They need their Superman good guy, because Page is more of a “working man’s champion” so far, and Mox was just a reheated Stone Cold basically. Darby Allin is aimed more at edgy older teenagers. Where’s their Santino, doing tea party segments? Why does Danielson have to be a generic badass now? I miss when he was a bear-obsessed, tree hugging weirdo. It feels like Jericho’s got less input now, can’t they do more wild stuff like the Mimosa match?

They have Jurassic Express and they’re over, but Marko Stunt is gone sadly. I thought he brought a unique energy to the shows. And Kris Statlander needs to be an alien again. I didn’t see anything wrong with that, she doesn’t need to be more bland in order to be taken seriously. Let’s get the Wingmen on more shows, man!

Adam Cole is too serious, he should be getting humiliated more, like how HBK, Regal and Kurt Angle were badass but made themselves look like fools for the faces. I want Hangman to do something nasty and embarrassing to the Undisputed, like when Cena blackmailed Vickie and Big Show, that kicked ass.

Even NJPW I feel strikes a better balance between a generally serious wrestling show without taking itself *too* seriously, with wackier guys like Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi. Hiromu is a badass, but he’s a ham.

AEW is too afraid to be “stupid fun” and it’s pissing me off.

[nihilismizhawt]

Orange Cassidy. Danhausen. Brandon Cutler. John Silver. Fuego Del Sol.

This is the problem with some modern fandom. You have a few funny segments, non-stop criticism that you're not serious enough. Elite as Ghostbusters, Cole and Cassidy on the beach.

You have serious segments, its not funny enough. It just never ends.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Apr 2, 2022 11:33:02 GMT -5 nihilismizhawt said:

Orange Cassidy. Danhausen. Brandon Cutler. John Silver. Fuego Del Sol.

This is the problem with some modern fandom. You have a few funny segments, non-stop criticism that you're not serious enough. Elite as Ghostbusters, Cole and Cassidy on the beach.

You have serious segments, its not funny enough. It just never ends.

The Ghostbuster thing is something I’d like more of. And I see Danhausen, OC, Fuego and Silver in sort of a middle range where they can appeal to either age demo. I’m still on the “AEW needs more wacky” end even with those guys included.

[nihilismizhawt]

Apr 2, 2022 11:36:54 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

Apr 2, 2022 11:33:02 GMT -5 nihilismizhawt said:

Orange Cassidy. Danhausen. Brandon Cutler. John Silver. Fuego Del Sol.

This is the problem with some modern fandom. You have a few funny segments, non-stop criticism that you're not serious enough. Elite as Ghostbusters, Cole and Cassidy on the beach.

You have serious segments, its not funny enough. It just never ends.

The Ghostbuster thing is something I’d like more of. And I see Danhausen, OC, Fuego and Silver in sort of a middle range where they can appeal to either age demo. I’m still on the “AEW needs more wacky” end even with those guys included.

Go on twitter the day after they do anything funny, see the uproar, and see why they do it less than they want. You will see a lot more of it on Dark and Elevation because there isnt the constant barrage of criticism for daring to be funny.

I want more funny too. But I settle for the vlogs and backstage stuff.

[ASYLUMHAUSEN]

Danhausen fills that role well enough for 10 workers.

He is limited by the cursed broken leg and unable to be a fully operational Death Starhausen.

But the day will come…

[Fade is a CodyCryBaby]

I agree. The first three years, they definitely did. Jurassic express, Marko, dark order, even in antics the elite guys would do that carried through from the BTE days. Like, I remember shows having that Rick and morty thing and even just recently that Elite Vs DO Halloween match.

I ‘spose now it’s Danhausen. While I feel the rest of the company is straying away from that content. It’s becoming more grounded.

It’s ironic. I remember when AEW started, threads would ask “how do you want AEW to develop?” and I distinctly remember saying “I want the show to become more “mature” and less silly. Leaning towards NJPW. It has. Especially since Danielson, Punk and Cole have arrived. But as OP mentioned even NJPW has some incredibly campy ish.

It doesn’t upset me, necessarily. In fact, I think maybe they’re (Tony?) leaning AEW in the direction they want. And people (wrestling fans) seem to be loving it. But personally, I do miss the light hearted-ness. And I agree with the sentimentality wrestling needs it’s wacky/kid friendly stuff.

It should also have mature aspects. It should have a little bit of everything. It should be a diverse circus. I always point to WWE in 2001. A nice mix of everything.

[petef3]

All I can say is that when I was 7 years old the Bushwhackers were my absolute least-favorite act in wrestling. I did like the Warrior and some other folks not beloved by sheet-reader-types of the time, but I wanted to see asskickers and real-life superheroes, not acts that were pandering to me (even if I couldn't tell you what "pandering" meant, the Bushwhackers were it). Not every kid is into silliness in their wrestling.

The three-ring circus approach is okay, but at some point you have to have a somewhat unified vision, because trying to be all things to all people isn't going to get you very far either.

[J is Justice]

Do you watch Dark? There seems to be a lot of goofy stuff on there. The kids love Luther and Serpentico. There's Sholance Royal and Narakawa (only saw him once but he was funny). Emi always cracks me up, too.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Apr 2, 2022 11:43:13 GMT -5 Fade is a CodyCryBaby said:

I agree. The first three years, they definitely did. Jurassic express, Marko, dark order, even in antics the elite guys would do that carried through from the BTE days. Like, I remember shows having that Rick and morty thing and even just recently that Elite Vs DO Halloween match.

I ‘spose now it’s Danhausen. While I feel the rest of the company is straying away from that content. It’s becoming more grounded.

It’s ironic. I remember when AEW started, threads would ask “how do you want AEW to develop?” and I distinctly remember saying “I want the show to become more “mature” and less silly. Leaning towards NJPW. It has. Especially since Danielson, Punk and Cole have arrived. But as OP mentioned even NJPW has some incredibly campy ish.

It doesn’t upset me, necessarily. In fact, I think maybe they’re (Tony?) leaning AEW in the direction they want. And people (wrestling fans) seem to be loving it. But personally, I do miss the light hearted-ness. And I agree with the sentimentality wrestling needs it’s wacky/kid friendly stuff.

It should also have mature aspects. It should have a little bit of everything. It should be a diverse circus. I always point to WWE in 2001. A nice mix of everything.

Right, I don’t want the mature aspects of All Elite to just go away and just be 2022 New Generation. I just think it’s unbalanced far in one direction at the moment.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

Apr 2, 2022 11:58:59 GMT -5 J is Justice said:

Do you watch Dark? There seems to be a lot of goofy stuff on there. The kids love Luther and Serpentico. There's Sholance Royal and Narakawa (only saw him once but he was funny). Emi always cracks me up, too.

There’s been a few things on Dark I’d like to see on the main shows on occasion, like that one jobber with the Eagle Scout gimmick and he’d salute as he sold moves. Get that guy back.

[Deleted]

Nah.

[Zone Was Wrong]

Eh, I'm good. There's enough light hearted gimmicks. They're just not a big focus.

[ghost]

While the show is more on the gritty side (which I prefer btw), I do think certain acts will appeal to kids. Darby, Jungle Boy, OC, Danhausen, off the top of my head. I think we have to give kids today a bit more credit in terms of what they'd like in an act. Hell, there is a video on YouTube where a young girl is basically asking for MJF to cut a heel promo on her, and she's throwing daggers back at him. I think the days of kids wanting Bushwhacker type gimmicks are over.

[Cyno]

All their shows are rated TV-14 for a reason: it's really not a product meant for kids. That isn't to say there aren't kids that watch it as age ratings are less hard rule and more guideline. But they're definitely aiming for an older audience (teenagers, young adults) rather than an all ages sorta thing.

That said, I love wacky gimmicks like Danhausen and Orange Cassidy. I'd also love to see someone like Dan the Dad show up on Dark or Elevation.

[Citizen Snips Has Left]

Yeah, Tony was a big ECW fan right? And while ECW had some comedy acts (Stevie & the Meanie, JT Smith, etc), they were specifically geared to be an alternative to other promotions. If you’re trying to be a true alternative choice, you just don’t do your version of what your competitor’s doing. You do something different.

[The Ichi]

I keep seeing this "AEW is too serious lately" sentiment and...I don't get it? There's plenty of whackiness still. OC, Jurassic Express and Dark Order are heavily featured acts. They likely don't want to appear too kid friendly due to the bloody matches, but 8 year old me would love current AEW.

[Bo Rida]

They're in a strange place lately, it has felt overly serious and heel dominated but when you think about it there's plenty of comedy, gimmicks and the majority of champions are faces.
I suppose they have the environment that allows them to swing between goofy and serious as required, they've naturally swung one way but will eventually go back the other direction.

I think they have plenty of acts that appeal to kids but not many aimed at them, like the Pokémon/Cod meme. That's probably the smartest way to go.

To me they're missing a Santino, Bo Dallas, Shane O'Mac, Hyper Misao type who have an ego and unique way of viewing things that gets them into stupid situations and in way over their head. That person trying and failing to join the Blackpool combat club could be hilarious but nobody quite fits it atm.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Definitely watch DARK if you want some more fun. The Wingmen and Chaos Project are there, and they're terrific

I don't see AEW as "Too Serious", like... how can they be with how The Elite even are? They're all goofy psychopaths lmfao. Even JAS are goofy in their own right, we just had a thread about how Garcia dressed like two days ago being hilarious. Then there's Danhausen... yeah lol.

I think they're fine enough, as others have said, it's a lose-lose with the wrestling fandom, there never seems to be a "perfect balance".

[Deleted]

I’ll say it again… Tony Khan hates fun.

[dbrussel]

Thank godness. I'm over 14 years old

I watch Dark if i'm having one of those days.