Folks, I’m honestly so exhausted by the constant grifting AEW gets every single day. Every time I open Twitter (and no, I’m not calling it X), there’s some petty complaint about how AEW is supposedly ruining wrestling—while the same people blindly praise everything WWE does.
On YouTube, it’s the same thing, with ridiculous thumbnails featuring Tony Khan’s face either exaggeratedly drawn or taken from random moments on camera just to mock him. Instagram and TikTok are stuck in a WWE nostalgia bubble (for the record, I don’t hate WWE, but it doesn’t really match my taste—aside from a few things and talents).
Thankfully, I avoid Facebook, because the wrestling-watching racist uncles there would probably be even worse. It’s nauseating, exhausting, and honestly, just plain BORING!
That being said, AEW isn’t above criticism either. The product has felt like a shadow of its former self for a while now, and the overall reception to its quality has been pretty mixed. Maybe it’s a victim of the high standards it set during its early years—and that’s okay.
Wrestling, like any other art form, is subjective and will always be. As Brian Zane (one of my favorite wrestling YouTubers) wisely puts it: “Like what you like, don’t be a d*ck!” You’re free to enjoy or dislike whatever you want, but at times, the criticism gets excessive, to the point where even the good things AEW does get drowned out by negativity.
That’s just the state of wrestling fandoms in 2025 and it ain’t looking good fam!
To sum it all up, here’s what I feel about the current AEW storylines:
Death Riders
Most of AEW’s recent criticism has centered around the Death Riders faction—a stable that started with plenty of promise but, in popular opinion, has jumped the shark as of January 30, 2025. The story began simply enough: Jon Moxley, frustrated with AEW’s lack of hunger and competitive fire, set out to ruthlessly take over the industry alongside his handpicked group, the Death Riders.
The faction featured Marina Shafir, his former BCC allies Wheeler Yuta & Claudio Castagnoli, and the BASTARD PAC. On paper, it was an exciting and fresh angle that could have reignited AEW, but here’s the problem.
Since their formation, Death Riders segments have become somewhat formulaic, and their opposition has lacked a strong lineup of top-tier babyfaces. Outside of a few, the most notable opponent has been Orange Cassidy—which, to be fair, works well given his history with Mox and his well-earned status as a top star (despite the unwarranted criticism he receives).
Their match at Full Gear was great, but instead of a clear follow-up, AEW folded in the Hangman Page vs. Jay White feud into the main event scene. That was fine, but now it has dwindled down to just Jay White as the focal point—again, not necessarily a bad thing, but it feels like the momentum has stalled in a huge way.
The entire premise of Death Riders was a group of ruthless killers who would single-handedly beat people up and teach a lesson to reinvigorate the spirit of the promotion into people. It worked with Private Party who went on to become the AEW tag champions (I’ll write about them later), and Orange who stepped up as the self-deprecating leader vs this tyrannical faction.
Missed Opportunity
Sadly now it’s gotten to the point where like any other heel faction, they use numbers’ advantage against the likes of older, less relevant stars like Jeff Jarrett and Chris Jericho (more on them later). We haven’t moved past the first stage in this story and it’s gotten stagnant too quick.
Honestly, I enjoy everyone involved in this storyline—just not as a collective unit. Individually, they all thrive in their own ways, but together, Death Riders has been a letdown. That said, because of the talent involved, I keep giving them chances, hoping they’ll turn things around.
So far, it hasn’t clicked, but a strong ending could still salvage this storyline. Speaking of endings, the original plan seemed to be for Darby Allin to dethrone Moxley—but as of now, he’s preparing to climb Mount Everest. With that off the table, fans have been clamoring for AEW to pivot and find an alternative to take the belt off Moxley.
That idea sounds promising, but we’ll have to see where it goes. Personally, I’d love to see someone like Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega (who seems like a heavy favorite), Cope (given where his story is heading), or even another name I’ll mention later, step up and take the title.
In fact, this entire feud could still work without the belt—it just needs a creative shake-up. Right now, it feels way too formulaic, but with the right effort, there’s still potential to make it compelling.
Jeff Jarrett/MJF
Real talk—I do enjoy both of these guys individually. I have a ton of respect for Jeff Jarrett and everything he’s accomplished over the years. But let’s be honest: having Jarrett hovering around the main event scene in 2025 is not a good look. We’re 20 years late on this criticism train—it was questionable back then, and it’s just as weird now.
In theory, the storyline isn’t inherently bad. An aging veteran wanting to end his career on a high note while a young star tells him he’s past his prime? That’s a classic setup, and MJF is doing a great job with his role. The issue is that, somehow, this still ends up tying into Death Riders, and crossing these stories over does no one any favors.
Going back to the promo between MJF and Jarrett a few weeks ago—it just didn’t land. It was, frankly, terrible and not a good look for either man. I mean MJF cutting ‘edgelord’ promos invoking the late Owen Hart’s demise, questionable choice. There’s still a way to pivot Jarrett’s world title ambitions into another AEW-affiliated promotion where it might make more sense.
Meanwhile, MJF seems to be shifting toward a feud with Hangman Adam Page, which actually has the potential to reinvigorate him. Hangman has been doing some of his finest work lately—he’s arguably one of the most consistent wrestlers on the roster. But his start-stop pushes have hurt him, and that’s entirely on AEW’s booking.
On the other hand, interest in MJF has been at its lowest in a long time. I’m hoping this feud lights a fire under both of them because, on paper, it has all the makings of something worth tuning in for.
Patriarchy vs Joe/Hook/Shibata
I feel for HOOK as well. While Christian has managed to breathe new life into a lot of stale acts (and even revived a championship), he just couldn’t do the same for HOOK. It’s been such a missed opportunity—after that initial high, it’s been nothing but repetitive, meddling segments with no real progression.
This feels like 2/2 for HOOK in bad feuds with veterans (I absolutely hated that Jericho feud and it almost drove me away from wrestling altogether). Thankfully, with Samoa Joe’s return, there’s finally some hope for this feud. Joe has been a resurrection man, not only giving life to this rivalry but also playing a massive role in elevating AEW after MJF’s world title reign.
He’s helped Swerve establish himself as a top guy, and I’m really hopeful this story will start heading in a positive direction for HOOK—maybe with a veteran guiding him, like we’ve seen with many young talents in the past. If not, a Japan excursion could be a great way for him to find his footing and truly come into his own.
As for Christian, he’s still got that title shot contract hanging over him, and many fans, myself included, would love to see him cash it in—especially if Cope eventually beats Mox to take the belt. That would be a perfect way to complete the circle from 2023’s World’s End PPV.
Chris Jericho Vortex
Oh my god, I hate this so much! It’s genuinely sad to see Chris Jericho reduced to this awful, self-inflicted version of himself—trying to turn valid criticisms into heel heat. Brother, they don’t just boo you because you’re a heel, they actually hate you and your work.
TAKE THE HINT! We do not need to see an aging, washed-up Chris Jericho in 2025 taking up TV time every single week—let alone holding a championship for a promotion he doesn’t even actively represent. It’s beyond frustrating at this point. Can we just let Jarrett beat him to win his world title? Let another monster destroy him after that.
Toni Storm/Mariah May
Now that we’ve got all the negatives out of the way, let’s talk about the positives. This has genuinely been one of AEW’s finest stories. Sure, it might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s widely regarded as one of their best. Toni Storm’s transformation into one of the best character wrestlers today is nothing short of incredible—especially considering she was always labeled simply as a “great wrestler.”
She’s taken things to another level, proving she can captivate beyond just in-ring work. While Mariah May’s world title reign at times felt like she was just holding the belt until Toni returned, both women have absolutely brought their A-game in the lead-up to their match at Grand Slam: Australia. I’m really intrigued to see where this next chapter takes them.
Swerve vs Ricochet
This is easily one of my favorite feuds in AEW right now, and a huge reason for that is Ricochet’s heel turn. He’s been absolutely hilarious in this new role, and it’s so refreshing to see him in a completely different light. It’s a side of him we’ve never really seen before, and he’s thriving in it. Not to mention, Swerve Strickland continues to have the Midas touch.
Ever since arriving in AEW back in 2022, he’s been nothing short of phenomenal—an undeniable top guy and a tremendous asset to the company. It’s easy to see why so many of AEW’s rising and established stars want to work with him. He’s also played a huge part in helping Ricochet evolve into a more compelling character, which makes this feud even more engaging.
I’m really looking forward to their match on Dynamite on February 5th.
AEW Tag Team Scene
First things first, The Hurt Syndicate’s title win was exactly the shot in the arm that AEW’s tag division needed. A team made up of credible industry veterans and legitimate combat athletes, whose reputations speak for themselves, instantly adds a level of legitimacy and star power that the division had been lacking. And let’s not forget, they were one of the hottest acts in wrestling just a few years ago, so this victory reaffirms their place at the top.
That said, it’s a shame how Private Party’s tag title reign was booked. Their title win marked the peak of the Death Riders story, and their chemistry with the Young Bucks made for some great TV when they won the belts. Unfortunately, their reign didn’t live up to the potential it had.
Here’s hoping their booking fortunes improve going forward, though, because there are plenty of exciting teams that could challenge for the belts. Teams like Brian Cage & Lance Archer, the reunited Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly, or even HOOK, Katsuyori Shibata, and Joe have the potential to bring some fresh competition.
I would also like to mention the Trios title scene, which, for now, is still tied up with Death Riders. The latter two teams— HOOK/Shibata/Cole & Cole/Strong/O’Reilly—could be fantastic champions in that division too, along with Rated FTR. I’m entering 2025 with a lot of optimism regarding the Tag and Trios scene, and I’m really hoping AEW doesn’t let me down on this one.
Don Callis Family vs Will Ospreay & Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega’s return has truly been a shot in the arm for AEW as a whole. When he made his comeback to pro wrestling on January 5th, the same day as my birthday, in that incredible match against Gabe Kidd, the excitement for what his 2025 run would look like was through the roof—especially with the tease of Okada/Omega V at (Y’)All In.
Omega’s first program back has also been fantastic, as he teams up with Will Ospreay to face Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher of the Don Callis Family. The match is shaping up to be a thrilling spectacle, and the fans have already started calling Kenny AEW’s savior against the Death Riders. This was even mentioned briefly last week when Kenny and Ospreay cut their first promo together before agreeing to team up against DCF.
Looking ahead, I’m confident that AEW will continue to build towards Kenny Omega as the key figure to wrap up the Death Riders storyline, especially with him being the only active EVP left in the company. Speaking of EVPs, the Young Bucks are currently reigning as the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Champions, and they’re due for a return as well.
While it would be a shift from their original takeover storyline, I’m intrigued to see what role they’ll play when they eventually come back to AEW.
Conclusion
All things considered, the current AEW product isn’t as bad as some of WWE’s darker years from 2018-2022, but there are plenty of positives to take away. For the stories to reach their proper conclusions and pivots, it all comes down to Tony Khan ensuring the product shakes off the rust and becomes a consistently compelling spectacle with engaged fan interest.
There’s a lot of potential if things move in the right direction. Unless injuries, which are always a part of combat sports, get in the way, we could see things build for the better. AEW is in a strong position across the board, despite what some old podcasters and online critics might say. If it’s for you, great. If not, we can only hope things evolve to match your tastes—and that’s perfectly fine.
Critique is healthy, but it shouldn’t devolve into constant complaining for the sake of it. I’m optimistic about 2025 for AEW, and I hope they bounce back both in perception and in a big way.
Article courtesy of Ridwan – you can check out his other brilliant articles here.
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