AEW Fyter Fest 2020: 3 Reasons for Jon Moxley retaining the title

The Missing Element

The United States has been in lockdown for months, live audiences are replaced by members of the roster. For every promotion around the world, plans have had to change. This situation has always been viewed as temporary. We have to ride the storm together. And All Elite Wrestling has made decisions that make the most out of a bad situation.

As plans change, the direction is altered. What enables you to test whether a decision is a success, failure, or receiving mixed feedback are the people sitting in the seats. The live audience in attendance. They bring the energy and give an honest interpretation of how the product looks in the flesh. Anyone who has ever gone to a wrestling show should testify that it is an entirely different atmosphere than watching at home.

Hearing a crowd pop or boo is a vital element. As stated in the opening paragraph of this slide, AEW has used its performers to counteract the silence. But of course, these are geared to reach a certain manner by their dispositions of face and heel. A genius idea because they’re all staying in character, however, doesn’t offer a real ‘read’ as to how good it appears beyond the camera lens.

The simple truth is the crowd is an amplifier and no one knows what magnitude of a reaction Brian Cage will receive. I’m optimistic he’ll get over with the fans without too much trouble. At the same time, I wouldn’t bank the top spot in the promotion on that. Lest not forget, the importance of the wins & losses has been diminished over the past couple of months, so how would this co

We’ve seen a major title changes occur with World Wrestling Entertainment. I can’t deny they were necessary. Over at AEW, that’s not the case. They should stick with what is known to work until live audiences return in a matter of weeks and keep Brian Cage’s heat as a threat alive throughout that duration.

My belief is a title change at AEW Fyter Fest 2020 is a potential waste of promise in both the champion’s and challenger’s favor. It is too soon to weigh a companies image on a new set of shoulders, especially as the crowd operating as an amplifier to get a good read how the challenger’s prescience on-screen measures up.

Ratings and online feedback is one thing, but an organic reaction at a show is the best way for a promotion to get a finger on the pulse as to what’s working and what isn’t. Ideally, all of these factors need to be accounted for prior to turning the ship into a whole new direction. Where had it not been for the current pandemic, Brian Cage may never have never gotten a title shot so suddenly.

In closing, AEW has also veered off the importance of the ranking system, it sets a tone that the ‘sports-based presentation’ is transitioning more into ‘sports entertainment’ which it’s supposed to be an alternative of. A radical change has all the potential of becoming counter-productive for both wrestlers involved.

Do you agree? Let us know your point of view in the comments or via social media.