Most of AEW's Champions are not being booked very strongly
On May 29, AEW will present one of their flagship shows, Double or Nothing, and the card already looks loaded. The promotion has a lot on its plate over the summer, as they will return with their New Japan supershow, Forbidden Door, in June.
On paper, All Elite Wrestling seems to be hitting a home run with this event. Several high-profile title matches are already on the card, including the heavily anticipated showdown between Adam Page and CM Punk for the big one.
Thunder Rosa will also defend her AEW Women's World Championship against Serena Deeb, and both the Owen Hart Tournament winners will be crowned. So, it appears as if they are prepared to throw everything but the kitchen sink at this show, and we aren't even done with the full build yet.
However, one dark cloud floating over this event and AEW in general right now is the fact that most of their champions, despite long reigns, haven't been booked all that well after capturing gold. As a matter of fact, almost none of those wearing the gold look particularly strong right now. It starts at the top and moves on down the list.
Many critics have described Hangman Adam Page's AEW World Championship reign as underwhelming
Hangman's pursuit of the holy grail was riveting. It was a fantastic weaving of long-term storytelling into a satisfying finish, with Page being the man who finally unseated the dastardly Kenny Omega.
However, he hasn't quite lived up to the hype, and his first reign as champion is likely to come to an end in Vegas. Most All Elite Wrestling fans would agree that it's time for a change, and Punk is the perfect guy to deliver it.
"It's just business."
#AEWDoN (Double Or Nothing) can't come soon enough! Sunday May 29 is just around the corner and the #AEW World Championship between @CMPunk and champion #Hangman @theadampage is on the line! https://t.co/9n5eiUktxF
On the women's side of the ledger, Thunder Rosa has only had one title defense since winning the gold. Aside from some really awkward promos, she has barely been seen on TV. Serena Deeb is not the answer, and their confrontation on the September 2, 2020 episode of Dynamite looks more and more like a throwaway match.
The tag team champions, The Jurassic Express, and TNT Champion Scorpio Sky have not shown anything really 'elite' in their time with their respective crowns. Sky has had multiple chances to get over with the audience. Despite his athletic ability, he still hasn't unleashed all of his charisma.
Tensions sky-high in the ring right now! @OfficialEGO and @ScorpioSky letting their emotions fly! #AEWRampage is on @tntdrama right now! https://t.co/hIC6m5Hlrx
That leaves TBS Champion Jade Cargill as the only titleholder who is really being protected right now, and she isn't even scheduled for the show yet.
AEW's champions need more exposure on their weekly television programming. They need squash or semi-squash matches to establish their dominance. With all due respect to guys like Lee Moriarty and QT Marshall, they should be warming up these stars for the big matches that lie ahead.
Like Bound for Glory... for example.
While the focus has always been more on action than accolades in AEW, there is still something everyone is supposed to be fighting for: To be considered one of the best.
Sadly, once many current performers have reached that level, they are suddenly stalled out. That's unfortunately what's happening right now in All Elite Wrestling, and it's made many of their titleholders into lame-duck champions.
What do you think of AEW's roster of champions and their current title reigns? Who has been the strongest titleholder in the promotion recently? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.