Who’s the most dominant in AEW, Lance Archer or Brodie Lee?
During March of 2020, AEW introduced to ominous forces onto their roster. Two well-established performers who contribute a combined wealth of over 37 years of experience to this ever-expanding promotion.
I am, of course, referring to Lance Archer and Brodie Lee. At the mere sight of both men, it is clear they’re imposing behemoths on their own paths to domination in AEW . The question is, which has proven most dominant?
Lance Archer debuted on the Mar. 11 episode of Dynamite, introduced by decorated legend, Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. The gargantuan Archer emerged on national television as Robert’s protege and was injected into a feud with one of the top stars the company has to offer. That star being none other than Cody.
The following week, AEW promised a revelation to the long-awaited question of who was the ‘Exalted One’ of the Dark Order faction. Walking out the shadows and pulling down his hood before the camera, Brodie Lee, provided that answer. Bringing new life to a group gimmick that had mixed feelings among the fans.
Following these debuts, they’ve seen similar build-ups to their first AEW PPV appearances. They’ve both been heavily featured in vignettes, shared two squash match opponents out of five victories and billed to be seemingly unstoppable. One is a follower while the other a leader. Two different stories that took them individually into separate title pictures.
Under Jake Robert’s tutelage, Lance Archer is portrayed as a formidable brawler. Somebody that can destroy anyone he crosses path with and even demonstrated an ability to decimate consecutive adversaries, as if that’s all done in a days work.
In terms of being vocal, hasn’t said much during these past couple months, then again with a mouthpiece like Jake Roberts at his side, is there really a need for him to say anything?
The Exalted one is a different kettle of fish. Brodie Lee is a confident talker who bears resemblance in his characteristics to WWE owner and former boss, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. On a personal level, might I add?
Among these and other traits, Brodie is seen as a callous and calculating leader. He has ambitions to conquer everything around him and demands the best out of all that follow his command. A terrifying personality.
For the past two months, we’ve seen them develop, however, there is a clear leader between the two in terms of dominance. There’s no doubt either man is a good worker, but are experiencing different results from the execution of their performances on television that culminated at Double or Nothing.
Going back to Brodie Lee, we see quite the opposite. Since debuting, there have been no bumps in the road with seeing him broaden his prescience on the AEW scene. Being the leader of the Dark Order does give an advantage of having strength in numbers.
Seeing a person in a leadership position, automatically makes them appear more dominant. It doesn’t matter how recognisable a leader’s subjects are. The audience’s mind is conditioned to register that we’re seeing a person who holds authority over the actions of other people. This exuberates strength. Simple yet effective.
To be a leader, communication is key. Having a powerful voice both vocally and in choice of words are important ingredients. When Brodie Lee cuts a promo he goes straight to the core of the topic. He takes his time, demands attention by how he talks to you the audience.
What’s said, is what needs to be said. Whether it is you or a member of the locker-room, he wants you to digest what he’s thinking. There’s no filler here, especially nothing that spills out during a match.
Here we are drawn to a glaring difference of confidence between both giants. Lance Archer is noticed looking out for the camera, taking the emphasis onto him rather than what he’s actually doing. Brodie Lee, on the other hand, doesn’t need to look out for the production crew.
His body language gives them and the audience queues that are truly hard to ignore. He will take his time, immersed in the psychology of the match. Taking pauses that are meaningful, giving the audience a glimpse into his state of mind.
He looked comfortable and well in tune with adding to the unfolding drama. By simply breathing, he’d become so menacing on screen. It has been voiced by Jim Ross many times, but you cannot help notice the cold expression in Brodie’s eyes. They’re a portal into an unsettling soul, that’s for sure.
Both these behemoths, Lance Archer and Brodie Lee, did lose their respective title matches. More went in Brodie Lee’s favour to protect his image at the conclusion of his match. He had endured three Paradigm Shifts, the first breaking through part of the stage, before being knocked out from a choke-hold. He could not be pinned and such a factor resonates with the fans.
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In summary, Lance Archer may be the larger out of the two yet there’s more fine-tuning to be done for developing him further. The clean loss serves as a blemish that he’ll need to bounce back from. Brodie Lee, however, got cast into a more high-pressure position, straight into the main event spot.
Not only did he steal the belt during his feud with Moxley, but he also looked damn good with it too. His superior dominance is clear and he’ll continue tearing through AEW, knowing the best in the business could not make him pin or submit. He remains a true threat that hasn’t been stopped, only delayed from achieving greatness.