All Elite Wrestling is the land where the best wrestle. Not only does the promotion feature a slew of the top stars in the business, but it also boasts some of the best young performers around. Tony Khan has done a great job picking up talented men and women like Kyle Fletcher, Toni Storm, Konosuke Takeshita, and Skye Blue – all developing young talents with years left to give the business if they choose. There’s another on the roster that you can’t overlook, and that is none other than the “Cold Hearted Handsome Devil” Hook. AEW has a performer who could be a top babyface for years to come.
AEW fans have had the opportunity to watch HOOK grow up right in front of their eyes. He debuted back in 2021 when he was only 22 years old. Being the son of Taz puts him in a position to have an opportunity to access that other up-and-comers may not have had, but he’s worked under that pressure to become a performer that the fans have embraced, and one who has delivered on his development.
It is still interesting to watch how much HOOK has developed in his three years of experience. Eighty-nine matches average out to about 30 per year, which is not a lot when it comes to getting the reps to develop into a trusted, on-screen performer. Yet, HOOK has taken that opportunity and used it to not only craft his in-ring skills but also develop his character in a way that requires extraordinarily little promo work. Everything about his build has worked and set him up to be a major babyface in the future.
AEW has found a way to keep HOOK relevant while keeping him out of the way of the top wrestlers in the company. No one expects him to be able to keep up with Kazuchika Okada, Takeshita, or Fletcher, but AEW continues to find ways to keep him in prime positions that matter to those who watch every week. That goes a long way in making him into a bigger star.
The question is how All Elite Wrestling will continue to develop HOOK as a character and if his in-ring skills will grow enough to satisfy the tastes of the promotion’s fan base. AEW fans expect excellent in-ring work from those at the top of the card. If HOOK is going to become one of the top babyfaces of the future, he’s going to have to be able to keep pace with his peers. He’s shown he’s up to the task so far, and there’s hope that he will when the HOOK signal shines the brightest.