2 things AEW needs to fix before it airs on TV
Note: The views of the author do not reflect the views of Sportskeeda.
All Elite Wrestling's success at Fyter Fest proved that it's capable of putting on more than one good show. Fyter Fest may not have dazzled like Double or Nothing did, but it was a solid effort, and superior to just about anything not called NXT TakeOver in WWE this year. Not bad for a minor show.
The one glaring exception was the pre-show and it highlighted a big problem that AEW needs to fix before it launches its weekly show on TNT this fall. There was also another, less obvious, but still notable, problem throughout the event which showed that, despite the hype, AEW is still a startup company. Let's hope these problems can be fixed before this fall.
#1 Jettison the Being the Elite style humour
First at Double or Nothing, and again at Fyter Fest, we saw the limitations on the Being the Elite style humour. The quirky skits and jokes make for a popular YouTube show, but at both of the AEW events, that brand of humour went over with a live audience like a wet balloon. This was the biggest problem at both shows.
The backstage skits with the Bucks and Kenny Omega during the Fyter Fest pre-show were filler at best and it only got worse with the entrance of the librarians. The Michael Nakazawa vs. Alex Jebailey match was funny in isolation, and that kind of stuff does have its place from time to time, but it didn't get glowing reviews afterwards. This was unanimously considered the worst aspect of Fyter Fest.
Being the Elite has a devoted niche audience, but it doesn't belong on the live shows or television. That much was made clear on May 25th and June 29th. If this kind of stuff comes on TNT, All Elite Wrestling is going to lose viewers fast.
The YouTube show can be a humorous supplemental take on stuff that happens in the promotion, but it shouldn't actually drive any content on TV or pay per view.