Are The Young Bucks fading as a top tag team in AEW?
When the formation of AEW was announced back in early 2019, it was pretty clear who the top names in the company were. There would be major free agent signings early on, but for the most part, the identity of All Elite Wrestling came down to four friends: Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.
At the time, AEW could boast that they brought in the hottest names on the indie scene. The crown jewel of the group was Omega, who was coming off his incredible run in New Japan Pro Wrestling and classic series of matches with Kazuchika Okada. The Cleaner was being courted heavily by WWE, but he chose to stick with his Bullet Club brothers and sign with Tony Khan.
The Young Bucks were the star tag team, and Cody was the wild card. The foursome were all on fire at the time and provided a great talent base for Khan to build around.
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After a few years of tremendous success, all four men have hit roadblocks in AEW. Cody was rejected by the fanbase for months before departing the company in a shocking move. Omega has been laid up with a mutiitude of injuries, and there's no guarantee that he will return with the high-level performance he's showcased in the past.
Then there's The Young Bucks, whose lights seem to be flickering in AEW as well.
Matt and Nick Jackson, considered by many the best tag team in the world for several years, aren't even the top squad in their own promotion right now. As far as the level of excitement and energy they produce from the audience, they have been supplanted by teams like FTR, The Lucha Bros. and Proud and Powerful.
At this point, The Young Bucks seem to be suffering from overexposure. When they were that exciting team traveling all over the world and appearing in New Japan, they were somewhat of a mystery. Many fans had not seen them work consistently up to that point, having caught only random matches or highlight packages.
Now, they are everywhere. The Bucks are not just featured as part of AEW programming, they have their own 'webiverse' with the Being the Elite series on YouTube. It hasn't really done them any favors, as they have been exposed in many ways - both in and out of the ring.
Against more skilled teams, you can see that The Young Bucks got by with a lot of complicated movesets. But putting them in the ring with higher caliber teams has shown that perhaps they weren't as great as we all thought they were. And with age beginning to slow the Jackson brothers down, they haven't been as eye-popping or electric as they once were.
Along with that, their web series has convinced many in the AEW fanbase that perhaps they aren't quite as funny as they think they are. Often, the former tag champions come off as completely childish and juvenile. It's not a good look for what is supposed to be one of the 'ELITE' duos in the world of pro wrestling.
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Basically, the Bucks have become that firecracker that doesn't quite pop as loud as it should. It may not be a dud, but the packaging made you think it was more potent and explosive than it really was.
That's sort of where The Young Bucks are in AEW right now. Based on their name and how they are presented, they should be the ultimate stars. But lately, there's been a lot more fizzle than sizzle. They've lost a lot of the mystique they once had. No amount of comedy skits or microphone work can change that now.
Perhaps the Bucks, like Cody, need a change of scenery as well. They recently signed a two-year extension with AEW, but that time will travel by fast. Maybe when it's up, they should move on and ply their trade elsewhere. Because they certainly don't look like the franchise team that AEW signed just a few years ago.
This happens to all great athletes and teams at some point. Times change, and your 'prime years' disappear quickly. What worked for the Bucks in the past just doesn't have the same magic as before. And perhaps, it won't ever again.
Do you think The Young Bucks are losing ground in AEW's tag team division? Could they possibly leave All Elite Wrestling when their latest contract expires? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.