Post-Revolution analysis: 6 Strategic directions AEW must not ignore for the future
AEW pulled off another successful pay-per-view outing with Revolution 2025 this past weekend. The event reportedly drew over ten thousand attendees and received a more or less predominantly favorable reception, serving as evidence for a recent positive turn in momentum for the Tony Khan-led promotion's programming.
The All Elite creative team tried to sustain this momentum on Dynamite, which continued the promotion's storylines, introduced new feuds and angles, and featured a major debut. The company is clearly moving toward a more productive direction and could benefit from some strategic planning going forward.
Let’s explore some of these strategies below.
#1. Work on developing characters and follow up with consistency
Regardless of a viewer's personal preferences for storytelling both in and out of the ring, it is undeniable that the best pro wrestling rivalries and programs feature well-developed characters in conflict. Fleshing out the wrestlers' personas and providing them with clear motivations typically enhances the quality of the match and the audience's response to it.
Let’s take AEW Revolution 2025 as a case study. Most matches on the card that were enjoyed and positively regarded included Hangman Page vs. MJF, Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet, Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita, and Toni Storm vs. Mariah May. These featured talent with well-developed characters and compelling motivations for their opponents.
AEW should also master the art of narrative follow-through regarding storylines and wrestlers' career arcs that connect with the audience and maintain consistency. Showcasing MJF's breakdown in his locker room after losing to Hangman, as well as Konosuke Takeshita venting his frustration over his loss to Kenny Omega by wrecking Max Caster on Dynamite, were compelling initiatives in that regard.
#2. Invest more time to develop proper stories and talent for the women's division
Women's wrestling has come a long way over the past two decades, with talent now receiving much more consideration and respect for their athletic credibility and skills as performers. However, issues in this regard continue to persist, and both WWE and AEW have faced criticism for not devoting adequate production value and creative resources to their women's divisions.
As the pro wrestling industry has grown, fans have increasingly expressed a desire to watch wrestling content featuring women with stories that are on par with those centered around male performers. The discourse has moved way beyond wanting more matches and segments on television and PPV, as is natural - fans want female wrestlers to participate in programs and rivalries with real stakes, be they (in kayfabe) personal or professional.
AEW and Tony Khan, therefore, need to earnestly step up with their creativity for the incredibly stacked women's division. The company should feature female talent on television regularly and develop engaging characters, as they have with Toni Storm, Mariah May, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Julia Hart. It should also be more ambitious in crafting storylines for women to generate more interest in them.
#3. Make the AEW tag team and trios division more competitive
When AEW launched, one of its early distinguishing characteristics as a brand was the emphasis it placed on tag team wrestling. However, times have seemingly changed, as the company was recently blasted for mishandling Private Party's World Tag Team Title reign, despite the hype surrounding their long-awaited crowning. It was anticipated that Zay and Quen's run with the belts would rejuvenate the division, but that was not the case.
The former glory of the Tag Titles has arguably been somewhat restored since The Hurt Syndicate's Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley acquired the belts from Private Party earlier this year. However, the championship landscape—and the division in general—could be much more competitive if established and up-and-coming teams like FTR, The Undisputed Kingdom, The Young Bucks, Top Flight, and CRU were consistently booked in the title picture again.
The same can be said about AEW's trios division, which is also in dire need of a reset. More importantly, the company should either think about stripping The Death Riders of the World Trios Titles or have a top team defeat them for the belts so they can be defended regularly again.
#4. Featuring and preparing celebrities for appearances on AEW programming
Pro wrestling continues to overlap with popular culture and media, as it has for years. Celebrity appearances have become a regular occurrence in WWE, and All Elite Wrestling is not far behind in this aspect, having featured musicians, actors, film and television stars, and internet personalities on its programming at various times since its inception.
AEW viewers have already shared their glowing approval of the company’s decision to bring in Big Boom AJ and The Costco Guys, who are reportedly now under contract. Fans also enjoyed the recent appearances of actors Leslie Jones and Ken Jeong at Revolution 2025, especially their animated reactions to the matches on the show. Jeong, in fact, was feuding with Ricochet on social media just a day prior.
All Elite Wrestling can certainly generate a lot of buzz and interest in its product by considering how it can feature celebrities more creatively on its programs. However, the promotion needs to work with and train these celebrities before their on-screen appearances to avoid communication errors like the one that led fans to mistakenly assume Damaris Lewis "broke kayfabe" with her comments at Revolution 2025.
#5. Consider shortening their PPV cards
Excluding the Zero Hour pre-show, the main card of Revolution 2025 this past Sunday featured nine matches. While most of these bouts were well-received, at least two of them—Kazuchika Okada vs. Brody King and The Hurt Syndicate vs. The Outrunners—felt somewhat out of place due to their placement on the card. Interestingly, they were also the shortest matches on the PPV, neither crossing the 12-minute mark.
Given the intensity of the backstories behind the other seven matches at Revolution, it can be inferred that AEW booked Okada vs. Brody and Hurt Syndicate vs. Outrunners to provide the audience a respite from the nonstop violent action of the rest of the card. However, this inclusion may have hampered the event's pacing, according to some fans, suggesting that the company should consider reducing the number of matches on its PPV cards when appropriate.
#6. Clear up the AEW World Title mess
Claiming that All Elite Wrestling fans are frustrated with the company's current booking of the AEW World Title would be an understatement. Many viewers have called the main event match for the championship between Jon Moxley and Adam Copeland at Revolution 2025 one of the worst matches ever produced by the Jacksonville-based promotion.
Fans rejoiced at the prospect of Swerve Strickland repeating history and regaining the title at Dynasty 2025 after The Realest called his shot for next month. However, they were dismayed after the company announced another title bout between Mox and Cope—a Street Fight next week on Dynamite.
The One True King has always been a reliable top draw, but it seems that his current run, along with The Death Riders storyline, is struggling to connect with audiences. Given that fans are clamoring for a refresh in the World Title scene — in addition to calling for the inclusion of major names like Hangman Page, MJF, and Will Ospreay, Tony Khan should possibly oblige and take the necessary steps to restore the prestige of the All Elite World Championship.