One of the many criticisms of the All Elite Wrestling product, almost from its inception, is that the vast majority of the programming is done in a slapstick manner. Too often, too much is thrown at the wall to see what sticks without the structure to build, promote, and sell key matches in a solidified effort to draw money. Ultimately, that is a symptom of the fact that revenue isn’t the top priority for Tony Khan since money is no object. That’s one of the aspects that puts AEW in a unique position, because in the past, the decisions that made the most money possible had to be made to keep the doors open, or in the best case scenario, maximize the most money possible during a hot period. Leaving money on the table was a major mistake since that cash was how those in the business made a living. For Tony, the economics of AEW don’t make a difference to his family’s billionaire bank account. Don’t get me wrong, the existence of All Elite is key for the industry, as it offers variety for both the fans and the wrestlers, but Tony’s standard of living doesn’t change if All Elite profits millions or loses millions.
So, Tony doesn’t have to make pro wrestling decisions based on what would make the most money, and the on-screen product is very much a reflection of that.
I’ve often said that Tony Khan would’ve been better served to start an independent company and save himself the time and money that it costs to run a national promotion. Make no mistake, Tony Khan books the matches that he wants to see, and if that ends up providing entertaining programming for the viewing audience, it’s a mere coincidence. That’s not necessarily a knock on Khan, he pays the bills so it’s one of the perks of the job. However, the entire reason for a national platform is for the reach of wide distribution to be able to monetize the biggest platform possible. With national television, it allows for the touring schedule for live events to theoretically run tapings anywhere that has access to that national television platform. That’s why not just getting on television is key, but also the amount of television clearance of a channel is critical for how effective a TV deal is for a company. There’s a reason that TNA took the deal to move to AMC compared to AXS since more than twice the amount of households have access to the network.
Right or wrong, Tony Khan simply doesn’t book toward the wide demographic of the audience of TBS or TNT. In fact, the argument could be made that he’s not a booker, but rather a matchmaker. This weekend’s Redemption pay-per-view card is proof of that.
Similar to All Out last September that booked Kyle Fletcher vs. Adam Page in the main event just ten days before the PPV so there was virtually no build up, the newly-added Redemption to AEW’s pay-per-view line-up also lacks any major build or consequences. Instead, Tony booked a series of “work rate” matches with basically no impact on the direction of the company. One of the problems with that is that the fan base can see the same type of matches every week on Dynamite, and with Wembley Stadium as clearly the bigger show at the end of next month, why exactly should the fans pay $50 to watch Redemption?
Sure, the AEW World championship is on the line, but the problem with that is two-fold. Kevin Knight randomly had a lukewarm heel turn not that long ago. Is there really any demand to see him in the main event spot? This has nothing to do with his in-ring ability, that isn’t up for debate, but as a character, is there any reason that Knight should challenge for the world title? He hasn’t been truly established as a major heel, and as silly as it might sound, the main event of a pay-per-view looks like a TV match. Why exactly did Knight leap frog to the position to challenge for the championship in the main event of a PPV? Yes, I understand that they are going to have a dazzling 30-minute spot fest that Dave Meltzer will rate five stars at Redemption, but again, outside of the extra time given, how will this be any different than a match on Dynamite? Along with that, there hasn’t been enough time invested in the Kevin Knight persona to allow him to be presented as a major heel, which is probably because that’s what a booker would do to build to a pay-per-view. Tony Khan just wants to see the work rate between the two, without the perspective of why it should be an important bout in the grand scheme of things.
After Kenny Omega won the title from MJF at the last PPV, the Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay graphic was already put on the screen. In theory, it’s possible for the title to change hands, but does anyone truly believe that Kevin Knight right now would be a strong champion to main event Wembley? Does anyone believe it’s remotely possible that Omega is going to drop the title? AEW already put the graphic out there so regardless of the technicalities of a possible title change, if Omega/Ospreay doesn’t happen in England then it’s something that the promotion didn’t deliver to the audience.
While the main event should be the biggest selling point of the show, the ten-match card is mostly a collection of bouts that there thrown together relatively last minute and there’s nothing that appears to be “must see” for the audience. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that the contests will be subpar in terms of the performance, but there’s also nothing that stands out as worth the traditional $50 price tag when that same cash would be better spent for the bigger show at Wembley Stadium, which makes you wonder why Redemption was added to the schedule at all.
Ultimately, AEW tipped their hand when they booked Will Ospreay to main event Wembley, and decided to switch the title to Omega on television instead of the PPV. If Omega beat MJF at Redemption, it could’ve been used as a bridge to get to Wembley, as well as give the audience a reason to order the show since the other side of the Wembley main event would be determined. It’s somewhat mind-boggling that Tony gave away what could’ve been considered a worthy PPV main event, Omega/MJF for the title, on free TV. I’d argue that if All Elite Wrestling had to truly make a profit to sustain itself, a match like that is put on pay-per-view to generate the most revenue possible from it. The result of that decision was more than Omega taking the championship, it made Redemption skippable. But hey, Tony will get to see Omega/Knight, Meltzer will throw stars at it, and the same niche demographic that orders every All Elite PPV will pay to watch Redemption so maybe any criticism is moot?
However, and this might be the biggest takeaway from the entire scenario, decisions like the one that put the title on Omega on television are why only that previously mentioned niche demographic of roughly the same amount of fans are will to spend the cash to order the pay-per-views From a macro perspective, that’s why the company plateaued toward the end of 2022 and then saw a steady decline in attendance and television ratings to where they are now. Again, maybe none of this truly matters because Tony’s family can fund the project as long as he wants to be a promoter, but from purely a business standpoint, there’s not a major selling point for the Redemption pay-per-view.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
