AEW Continues Meticulous Build of 'Homegrown' Stars

Much of the attention in All Elite Wrestling goes to the stars at the tippy top of the promotional pyramid. The wrestlers main-eventing on pay-per-view shoulder the bulk of the media responsibilities and both the fan praise and criticism alike.

And that's probably how it should be.

These are the wrestlers best-suited for the spotlight right now, competent, seasoned professionals with the experience to handle the pressure that comes from having all eyes on you. The life of the company depends on these performances both inside the ring and out, and it only makes sense to put people in those roles who are ready to succeed right away.

Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Matt Hardy are all established wrestling superstars with one thing in common beyond their Hall of Fame pedigrees—and that's extended runs in Vince McMahon's WWE. Wrestling fans know them, and they've created a legacy and a relationship with the fans they've carried with them into this new venture.

The truth is, it will be rare, going forward, to find a high-profile free agent who hasn't spent time in the WWE system. New York has been the mecca for professional wrestlers, after all, longer than most of us have been alive.

But that common experience has done more than help generations of wrestling talent shine under the brightest of lights. It's also given AEW, in certain circles, an unfair rap as a promotion full of its competition's leftovers, a place for failed WWE stars to come for a second chance at success.

This episode of AEW Dynamite, like so many others before it, shows that criticism of the promotion to be unfounded at best and cynical nonsense at worst. Because, while it's the WWE veterans who have secured many of the prime spots in the AEW hierarchy, it's the newcomers and found gold that have given the promotion luster and life.

Far from feeling like a WWE knockoff, the combination of old talent energized by a fresh start and wrestlers new to the national stage has helped AEW create something vibrant and unique. AEW is a Frankenstein's monster, a mixture of old-school WCW, the energy of ECW and the ethos of the modern indies quite distinct from the sports entertainment WWE has presented for over a decade now.

The quarterfinal matches in the TNT Championship tournament was the perfect example of the balance AEW has maintained throughout its short existence. Dustin Rhodes main-evented the show, but it was the opening match between newcomers Darby Allin and Sammy Guevara he was attempting to equal, two young prospects who have lit a fire underneath a roster that has been forced to do more than merely jog in place to stay a step ahead.

Allin and Guevara, two otherworldly athletic talents with charisma oozing off them by the bucket full are hardly alone. They were followed by the cult superstar Orange Cassidy, the personification of "too cool to care," who has become one of the promotion's most popular figures despite (or because of) doing, well, absolutely nothing.

The week before it was Dr. Britt Baker, and before the pandemic, Jurassic Express was on the same rocket ship to the stratosphere. Acts like Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander and Joey Janela are just an opportunity away from a similar chance to take the wrestling world by storm.

AEW isn't a promotion full of the scraps left over after the WWE machine was created. It's, instead, a promising new creation built with parts from all over the wrestling world, the diversity of style and approach a feature to be shared, not a weakness to strip away until only an exhausting sameness of purpose and intent remains.

In an era of overwritten, overproduced wrestling, AEW has brought the wrestler back into the creative process—and the difference is obvious. The promotion trusts its talent to follow their own instincts and hearts. And, it turns out, when wrestlers care about the material they're performing and feel invested in it, good things happen. It creates an authenticity that doesn't (and can't) exist when the same television writers attempt to create dialogue for 20 different characters.

The AEW formula for creating new stars is innovative in its simplicity. Generally, they film an introductory video, giving the audience the opportunity to meet the wrestler and get a glimpse of their world. From there, it's totally in the talent's hands to sink or swim.

Allin and Guevara not only have distinct in-ring styles but also film different kinds of promos and video packages. Each AEW wrestler has the freedom to create the kind of character that works for them.

And, so far, it's worked for me too.

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.