Andrade’s talks with AEW initially stalled over creative control
Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc released some interesting details about the signing of Andrade to join AEW. On Saturday, Giri posted news that the talks between Tony Khan and Andrade began as far back as March, but the deal was not done due to “stalling over Andrade’s demands, which included wanting creative control and veto power on losing.” Those are some intriguing details in this developing story and creates quite the precedent for All Elite Wrestling.
Veto power and creative control are two massive talking points in professional wrestling. A performer with the ability to simply say “no” when they are presented with an angle or a storyline has massive power not only over their own career but those that they are involved with at the same time. There is a laundry list of stories from the past of big names in the industry using their ability to veto creative decisions in ways to keep themselves elevated while hurting others; eventually causing stress on the entire promotion.
According to the Wrestling Inc report, the two sides were able to meet in the middle, with Andrade having a limited amount of creative control on finishes. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and whether this becomes a problematic precedent for All Elite Wrestling. Andrade was seen as the hottest, if not the biggest free agent in professional wrestling. Even as the WWE recently made cuts that include the likes of Braun Strowman, Ruby Riott, Aleister Black, and Buddy Murphy, Andrade could be seen as the most important of that group. But does allowing a space where a wrestler could have any sort of creative control create an opening for the situation to worsen in the future.
AEW has done an excellent job creating a roster of well-established names that are helping to build new stars for the company. Performers such as Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, and MJF are building positive stances in the eyes of fans thanks to veterans like Cody, Christian Cage, and Chris Jericho. The same is said for Jade Cargill and Britt Baker who continue to rise in the women’s division. Imagine if an individual had the ability to simply say “no” if they are unpleased with a potential finish of the direction of a storyline.
On the other side of the debate, it is understandable to see why Andrade asked for veto power and creative control. His main roster WWE run did not live up to expectations in any regard and that is due to the lack of interest for WWE creative to book him in the right manner. That is not a situation that is exclusive to Andrade either. Just as any professional athlete or performer should do, he saw his value and asked for a contract that fit his needs and goals.
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Creative control has become an albatross in professional wrestling in the past. With Andrade and AEW meeting in the middle around his desire to have some type of control over his creative future in the promotion, it will be interesting to watch the overall impact. Will future stars come in with the same demands and will AEW be willing to give them what they ask?