The All Elite Wrestling Discussion Thread

[Greylocke]

Solid episode 3, no standout matches like last 2 weeks but overall consistent quality. I also like the way they're assigning TV time. Only the champions (Jericho and Riho) have the privilege of consistent screen time every week, and it makes them feel important. Otherwise we don't see the same people all the time. The Bucks aren't on TV this week and Cody only appears in a pre-taped promo, and Kenny had no TV match last week. This is something WWE should learn from. But of course, when you have Brock Lesnar as champion that's not possible.

 

I wish they didn't do the "face team has to replace one member at the last minute because the original member can't compete due to medical/injury reason" twice in a row in the tag team tournament. Individually, they were fine on their own, but seeing it twice in the same episode makes it feel contrived. And just too bad that the TV audience still don't get to see what Luchasaurus can do.

 

Women's match is too bad, but it's probably the worst match Riho has been involved in thus far. A positive is that the commentators didn't say anything about the weak win/loss record policy this week. And at least Baker doesn't have a negative win/loss record coming into this, but i still don't like how they give random title matches away on normal TV shows every other week.

 

The main event is a mixed bag that I love and hate at the same time. I like the creativity with the taping of Darby's hand and him continuing to wrestle in it. I don't think the interference at the end was necessary (and why did it have to happen when the ref was distracted? Wasn't the match No-DQ?). Darby was protected enough with the way he came close to winning with both hands tied up. With Hager's interference I think Jericho looks weak fro not being able to beat a man with no hands.

 

I'm also confused about the "Street Fight" rules in the main event. Apparently, it allows them to use weapons without fear of disqualification, but as mentioned earlier Jericho still needed to distract the referee for the interference. And there's also the moment when Aubrey Edwards apparently still threatened to disqualify Jericho for not releasing the submission hold??? This match feels like it was scripted by 2 different people who didn't consult each other.

[cappyboy]

 

The main event is a mixed bag that I love and hate at the same time. I like the creativity with the taping of Darby's hand and him continuing to wrestle in it. I don't think the interference at the end was necessary (and why did it have to happen when the ref was distracted? Wasn't the match No-DQ?). Darby was protected enough with the way he came close to winning with both hands tied up. With Hager's interference I think Jericho looks weak fro not being able to beat a man with no hands.

 

I'm also confused about the "Street Fight" rules in the main event. Apparently, it allows them to use weapons without fear of disqualification, but as mentioned earlier Jericho still needed to distract the referee for the interference. And there's also the moment when Aubrey Edwards apparently still threatened to disqualify Jericho for not releasing the submission hold??? This match feels like it was scripted by 2 different people who didn't consult each other.

 

 

Can't explain the second paragraph to you. Your final sentence seems to be a perfectly logical surmise. However, the interference is all too easy. I may not be as blind a mark as I was in childhood or as a young adult but in cases like this I still like to stay in touch with that thought process. And from that perspective it strikes me as pretty obvious why you have that interference there and in that fashion. The heat of battle. The force of habit. Hager and Jericho are so panicked in that moment they forget they don't have to be sneaky. So they fall back on what they know which is distracting the ref so it can happen. Now I will grant you that Hager panicking in that moment and feeling he needed to run in makes him look pretty dumb. But that's also something Hager wouldn't think about until the fact. Jericho's panic I'm okay with. After all, he's put Darby in a position where the kid shouldn't be able to defend himself and yet he's still finding ways. Ones that are good enough to allow him near falls no less. What more does Chris need to do to finish him off at that point? Makes perfect sense he accepts help from a henchy then.

[The Swanton825]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Greylocke" data-cite="Greylocke" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>(and why did it have to happen when the ref was distracted? Wasn't the match No-DQ?) </div></blockquote><p> </p><p> This is going to sound stupid, but this is something veterans tell you to do during training. The belief is that there are more fans caught up in the moment and forgot it's no-DQ that you can get heat from for doing that than fans who will remember the rules and ask why you did that.</p>

[Jaysin]

Kenny Omega won the AAA Mega Championship

[milamber]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Greylocke" data-cite="Greylocke" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Solid episode 3, no standout matches like last 2 weeks but overall consistent quality. I also like the way they're assigning TV time. Only the champions (Jericho and Riho) have the privilege of consistent screen time every week, and it makes them feel important. Otherwise we don't see the same people all the time. The Bucks aren't on TV this week and Cody only appears in a pre-taped promo, and Kenny had no TV match last week. This is something WWE should learn from. But of course, when you have Brock Lesnar as champion that's not possible.<p> </p><p> I wish they didn't do the "face team has to replace one member at the last minute because the original member can't compete due to medical/injury reason" twice in a row in the tag team tournament. Individually, they were fine on their own, but seeing it twice in the same episode makes it feel contrived. And just too bad that the TV audience still don't get to see what Luchasaurus can do.</p><p> </p><p> Women's match is too bad, but it's probably the worst match Riho has been involved in thus far. A positive is that the commentators didn't say anything about the weak win/loss record policy this week. And at least Baker doesn't have a negative win/loss record coming into this, but i still don't like how they give random title matches away on normal TV shows every other week.</p><p> </p><p> The main event is a mixed bag that I love and hate at the same time. I like the creativity with the taping of Darby's hand and him continuing to wrestle in it. I don't think the interference at the end was necessary (and why did it have to happen when the ref was distracted? Wasn't the match No-DQ?). Darby was protected enough with the way he came close to winning with both hands tied up. With Hager's interference I think Jericho looks weak fro not being able to beat a man with no hands. </p><p> </p><p> I'm also confused about the "Street Fight" rules in the main event. Apparently, it allows them to use weapons without fear of disqualification, but as mentioned earlier Jericho still needed to distract the referee for the interference. And there's also the moment when Aubrey Edwards apparently still threatened to disqualify Jericho for not releasing the submission hold??? This match feels like it was scripted by 2 different people who didn't consult each other.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Daniels being taken out was to turn The Lucha Bros heel. In the case of Luchasaurus, he got injured right before the show. Hamstring I think so out for awhile and they had no choice but to replace him.</p><p> </p><p> Riho has a dual contract. She holds the STARDOM High Speed title and is competing in the month long STARDOM tag league. I don't think she's available for Full Gear so they might have had to push some of her title defenses ahead. Bea might not be available for Full Gear either but I hope she beats Britt on TV to get the next title shot. I think Yuka Sakazaki might be coming back soon so that's a no-brainer. Shida just finished up in Japan. I get the feeling they already have Mercedes Martinez and a few other women under contract and are just waiting for their schedules to clear. I assume Jericho being the star of the show (and a damn good promo) and not wanting Lesnar comparisons is why he's on TV a lot and defending the title regularly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="cappyboy" data-cite="cappyboy" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Can't explain the second paragraph to you. Your final sentence seems to be a perfectly logical surmise. However, the interference is all too easy. I may not be as blind a mark as I was in childhood or as a young adult but in cases like this I still like to stay in touch with that thought process. And from that perspective it strikes me as pretty obvious why you have that interference there and in that fashion. The heat of battle. The force of habit. Hager and Jericho are so panicked in that moment they forget they don't have to be sneaky. So they fall back on what they know which is distracting the ref so it can happen. Now I will grant you that Hager panicking in that moment and feeling he needed to run in makes him look pretty dumb. But that's also something Hager wouldn't think about until the fact. Jericho's panic I'm okay with. After all, he's put Darby in a position where the kid shouldn't be able to defend himself and yet he's still finding ways. Ones that are good enough to allow him near falls no less. What more does Chris need to do to finish him off at that point? Makes perfect sense he accepts help from a henchy then.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> As you said Jericho was struggling to put away someone he probably thought he could beat easily because Darby is a madman. If Hager didn't help Jericho then what value does he bring to his role as enforcer of the Inner Circle? And once Hager interfered Jericho wasn't stupid enough to not take advantage. That's my read on it.</p>

[milamber]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Kenny Omega won the AAA Mega Championship</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> From Fenix in a very good match by all accounts. He's expressed his desire to defend the title in AEW so we could get a rematch if AAA are willing to play ball.</p>

[Greylocke]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="milamber" data-cite="milamber" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Daniels being taken out was to turn The Lucha Bros heel. In the case of Luchasaurus, he got injured right before the show. Hamstring I think so out for awhile and they had no choice but to replace him.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'm aware of the reasons. Doesn't mean it won't take away from the show for a viewer, though. Especially when there's an obvious easy fix. Considering that the Lucha Bros' actual opponents were the Jurassic Express that night, they easily could have turned heel by showing a clip of them taking out Luchasaurus backstage (and would have made even more sense in this context). That way, they don't have to use a similar setup for 2 matches on the same night.</p><p> </p><p> I recall once when WWE booked 2 matches to end in countouts in a row and the fans (rightfully) crapped over it. One was due to a wrestler being injured. It was a perfectly legit reason, but it sure doesn't mean the fans like seeing it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="milamber" data-cite="milamber" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>If Hager didn't help Jericho then what value does he bring to his role as enforcer of the Inner Circle? </div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Eh, I just watched NWA a couple days back and I don't think anything was taken away from Nick Aldis' ringside "insurance policy" even though she never interfered in the match. Same goes for Ezekial Jackson back when he was Brian Kendrick's enforcer. His mere presence at ringside was valuable, he didn't need to interfere every match. Also, Hager just helped Jericho and Guevara win their match last week, so it's not like he has to "prove his worth" every single week unless he gets paid by per-interference basis. And like I said, they make it look like Jericho <em>needed</em> his help against a man who doesn't have the use of his hands. I'm fine with Hager playing a factor against the match with Cody who probably has a team of friends/family of his own that Hager can help to neutralize, but if Jericho can't even beat a man with his hands tied up by himself then how can I expect him to stand a chance against the Elite?</p>

[Jaysin]

I think MJF will turn on Cody at Full Gear and help Jericho retain

[Makhai]

I think MJF will turn on Cody at Full Gear and help Jericho retain

 

Much prefer that MJF and Cody have a Luger Sting relationship for years and then you do it when people are sure you're not going to do it, or never do it at all. You've got to establish relationships before it means something to be betrayed. WWE has beaten this stuff into the ground with their booking. Much easier for Guevara to get the last laugh here.

[milamber]

One of the best Being The Elite intros ever:

[milamber]

<p>- Cutler vs Janela was solid. Much better from Cutler. I'll put his botches the other week down to nerves.</p><p>

- Nyla vs Leva was a basic squash to give Nyla a win. Avalon's cheap heat promo was more interesting than the match.</p><p>

- Stronghearts & Private Party vs Rhodes Bros & Young Bucks was a super fun tag match.</p>

[milamber]

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AEW now has a slot on German TV every Friday night at 9:50 pm on TNT Serie which is available through different TV packages like Sky or Horizon TV by Unitymedia.</p>

[aXminster]

AEW hit out of the park again. Another amazing show that had me smiling for two hours.

[milamber]

<p>- Private Party vs Lucha Bros was great. It's amazing how quickly PP have gone from indy nobodies to being over on a live show.</p><p>

- SCU vs Dark Order was good. The Inner Circle walking through the arena to the VIP section was cool.</p><p>

- Janela vs Omega was great. Nice of AAA to let them show footage but where was Kenny's belt?</p><p>

- The Cody & Friends/Inner Circle segment was super fun. "Who wears a scarf?"</p><p>

- Best Friends vs Young Bucks was good. OC is over and he's not even wrestling.</p><p>

- Britt vs Jamie was solid. I hope Jamie gets herself dual AEW/STARDOM contracts like Bea and Riho. What the hell Brandi? I guess she must have hired Jamie and was upset she didn't beat Britt.</p><p>

- Moxley vs PAC was great. Time limit draw was smart booking to keep them both strong. It pays to watch the FITE app version so you don't miss anything during commercials or after TNT goes off air.</p><p> </p><p>

And that completes an incredible 1st month of AEW on TNT.</p><p> </p><p>

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[RingRider]

Britt Baker is getting that "get off my tv" kind of heat from me.... I'm rejecting her more than I ever did Roman Reigns.

[The Final Countdown]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="RingRider" data-cite="RingRider" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Britt Baker is getting that "get off my tv" kind of heat from me.... I'm rejecting her more than I ever did Roman Reigns.</div></blockquote><p> Yeah, her push is far greater than her actual ability. Maybe she'll be good eventually, but right now she's way too green to be a cornerstone of a division for a major company like this.</p><p> </p><p> Also, if I hear JR say "She's a dentist!" one more time, I'm going to lose it.</p>

[Jaysin]

<p>I can’t stand Britt Baker. I saw her at an ROH show in Pittsburgh and I was standing next to a group of her friends and family. They were obnoxious and tried to start “Brittsburgh” chants during EVERY match. </p><p> </p><p>

She’s not good in the ring either.</p><p> </p><p>

I just read a report saying Tessa Blanchard’s Impact contract is over. I’d love her to come to AEW. She would be a huge get and they really need the star power and talent she brings to the table.</p>

[MightyDavidson]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I can’t stand Britt Baker. I saw her at an ROH show in Pittsburgh and I was standing next to a group of her friends and family. They were obnoxious and tried to start “Brittsburgh” chants during EVERY match. <p> </p><p> She’s not good in the ring either.</p><p> </p><p> I just read a report saying Tessa Blanchard’s Impact contract is over. I’d love her to come to AEW. She would be a huge get and they really need the star power and talent she brings to the table.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Britt's not the worst woman's wrestler I've ever seen. She's not brilliant yet but there are many wrestlers who weren't brilliant when they started who became amazing with time. I'm not saying that Britt will for sure be one of those but I'm not writing her off just yet. I do like her finisher though.</p>

[Jaysin]

<p>I’m not saying Britt is the worst, she’s just not good. I’d love for that to change, but I think she’s being over pushed.</p><p> </p><p>

Also, the amount of times they reference her being a dentist is beyond obnoxious. We don’t need to be told the same thing five million times. If you made it a drinking game you might be hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.</p>

[MightyDavidson]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I’m not saying Britt is the worst, she’s just not good. I’d love for that to change, but I think she’s being over pushed.<p> </p><p> Also, the amount of times they reference her being a dentist is beyond obnoxious. We don’t need to be told the same thing five million times. If you made it a drinking game you might be hospitalized for alcohol poisoning.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> That's what the mute button's for. <img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p>

[cappyboy]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Jaysin" data-cite="Jaysin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I’m not saying Britt is the worst, she’s just not good. I’d love for that to change, but I think she’s being over pushed.<p> </p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> i would certainly hope you're not saying Britt Baker is the worst. I'd have an OVW Women's Champion or two to point you to in rebuttal. The first time Cali Young held OVW gold I couldn't stand her because she was so aggressively dreadful in the ring. And OVW is at a level where that can be forgiven because parts of their undercard are fresh out of school. That said, I am a little surprised Baker is in AEW. She may not be early Cali Young bad but I can certainly see where she could use more seasoning. Still as long as Riho is champion and other women more in the Bea Priestley vein of talent get to the gold before the good doctor, then I'm okay with how she's presented. Let her be the people's favorite. She certainly wouldn't be the first pet who'd have to earn her stripes before she earned gold.</p>

[TheGhost]

<p>Yeah I am on the same boat with Baker. I just don't get the hype, shes average at best. And that becomes painfully obvious when she wrestles someone who is average at best. She was exposed Wednesday night, the girl she faced was "meh" and it showed that Baker needs a lot more seasoning before being the cornerstone of the women's division. </p><p> </p><p>

I agree about the whole dentist thing too. AEW needs to step away from that, because right now her gimmick is her occupation, and that just reeks of mid 90s wwf. </p><p> </p><p>

Good solid show tho this week, so far one month in the books and they are stayin consistant which is good. </p><p> </p><p>

The Cody Rhodes/Inner Circle angle was fun, but personally the WWE jabs need to stop. They need to step away from it and just focus on themselves. Sure they are funny and all, but right now they don't need stuff like that. The need to do essentially what WWE does now and just pretend the other doesn't exist. </p><p> </p><p>

Full Gear is shaping up to be a pretty good card. We are a little over 2 weeks away so I am hoping that with the next 2 shows we see more of the card fleshed out. Because right now only 3 matches are confirmed. I could see a Tag Title rematch between SCU and Lucha Bros. and I am sure a Women's title match will be announced as well.</p>

[Makhai]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="cappyboy" data-cite="cappyboy" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46243" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>i would certainly hope you're not saying Britt Baker is the worst. I'd have an OVW Women's Champion or two to point you to in rebuttal. The first time Cali Young held OVW gold I couldn't stand her because she was so aggressively dreadful in the ring. And OVW is at a level where that can be forgiven because parts of their undercard are fresh out of school. That said, I am a little surprised Baker is in AEW. She may not be early Cali Young bad but I can certainly see where she could use more seasoning. Still as long as Riho is champion and other women more in the Bea Priestley vein of talent get to the gold before the good doctor, then I'm okay with how she's presented. Let her be the people's favorite. She certainly wouldn't be the first pet who'd have to earn her stripes before she earned gold.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I'd point you to the state of the ROH division and that would do it.</p>

[cappyboy]

I'd point you to the state of the ROH division and that would do it.

 

I'd argue with you on that and get vigorous with the OVW examples. But to be fair, that is where Baker came from so your suggestion isn't totally unreasonable.

[Greylocke]

The weakest of the 4 episodes thus far IMO. The semi-finals of the tag tournament aren't as enjoyable for me, partly because the Lucha Bros' attack on SCU last week kind of gave away the results. It doesn't take a genius to guess that they'll probably be facing each other in the finals to settle the grudge, and once Lucha Bros won the first match, SCU winning the second one was all but confirmed. The spotfest between the PP and the Lucha Bros also feel more staged, as you can really see the wrestler quite deliberately moving themselves into position to get ready for the next spot after each one. The PP/Bucks match was mostly a spotfest too, but that one had a comparatively more organic flow between the spots.

 

Totally not into the Dark Order. That might change if they actually give the guys some promo time. This is the most gimmicky team on the roster, so they should really present some interesting backstory for them. Explain to the viewers why there're a bunch of random masked dudes following the scrawny beard guy and the flabby masked dude around and what their motivation is. On that note, AEW lacks promo segments and mic time for those outside the main event scene. More of that would be nice.

 

Jaimie Hayter would be a nice pick-up for the woman's division if they actually signed her, since they're kind of lacking in good English-speaking women workers at the moment, but I'm inclined to belief she's just on loan from Stardom and won't be around too long. Although the attack from Brandi can be both a good and a bad sign. Good because if they have a story for her she'll at least be staying a while. Bad because if this leads to her wrestling Brandi Rhodes then I have no interest in seeing it. Hopefully Brandi'll be bringing in henchwomen to do her fighting instead.

 

Orange Cassidy still relying on that one hands-in-pocket high spot for pops is getting a little tiresome...partly because it doesn't look that impressive anymore after having already seen Darby Allin wrestle for several minutes with no hands. Time to have an actual match, methinks.

 

The main event draw can again be seen coming quite early. Moxley isn't losing this close to his big match with Omega, and PAC is still in super-protected status. No other ending would make sense. Again, hard for me to get into because neither of them are that likeable. To the live crowd, PAC is the bigger "villain", but when you look at this match within the context of why it happened, he was actually the wronged party here, getting abandoned by his partner after he (rightfully) tried to stop the latter from being an idiot and getting them both disqualified. I know disregarding rules and favouring use of weapons is part of Moxley's character, but in a company where every win and loss supposedly matters, it makes perfect sense for a competitor to be concerned about having a stupid partner unnecessarily cost you a win.

 

And it's been almost a month since AEW's weekly TV started, so I'm starting to be more concerned at the storylines and characters presented. The tag division is still in a midst of establishing a champion, so I'm not looking for too much there yet, but right now it doesn't feel like there's too much going on besides several hours of high-light reel worth matches. The biggest hook for me thus far is MJF's slow-burn story regarding his attachment to Cody. That's the best actual story going on. Kenny's "big singles match losing streak" really doesn't feel like it's reached a crisis point with any sense of urgency yet, and it seems like they're already starting to have him turn it around, not only with that TV win over Joey, but also having the commentators acknowledge that he recently won the big one in AAA. It looks like his match with Moxley is still going to be the blow-off match, but as mentioned, the lack of a real sense of urgency stops me from getting much emotional investment in this match. It's just not convincing to me that he badly needs to get a big win in AEW to turn his career around.

 

The women's division has been full of random match-ups (including a title match out of nowhere), and the only real storyline going on (Bea vs Britt) happened by pure accident when one of them legit injured the other in a dark match. Doesn't feel like they planned much with it yet.

 

And then there's the World Title feud, which rightfully is the one they're consistently building every week, but also one that I find hard to get into. Even putting aside my personal dislike of dominating heel stables in general, the overall premise of the story really strains one's suspension of disbelief. I think the big angle this week was prime example of why I can't get into this feud. Seeing Jericho c0ckily bragging about his numbers advantage at Cody because he has 3 other guys on his side is really laughable when you consider the fact that Cody is one of the guys running the show and can theoretically summon about 10 guys if not more to show up and kick the Inner Circle's ass if he so chooses. He's not going to do that, obviously, because he's the good guy, but what in the world makes Jericho naive enough to think that he has the advantage just because he has 3 friends? Seriously, why would Jericho NOT expect Dustin and MJF to show up? Even if DDP is supposed to be a surprise, Cody still has plenty of other friends backstage. The Bucks are even feuding with Santana and Ortiz, and they can't even be arsed to show up because they know they're clearly not needed. This is just one angle, but it's pretty much representative of how unbelievable the entire premise of the feud is. Jericho is supposed to be this cunning character who stays on top by outsmarting his opponent, but it takes someone with super-low IQ to believe that he has the advantage over one of the founders of the company he's working for just because he brought in 4 friends as compared to the babyface having no less than 10 guys who have his back in the company. Having a heel stable vs babyface story simply does not work in this context. The only way Jericho can believably have a numbers advantage over Cody would be if he manages to start a general mutiny against the Elite in the locker room, but even that is not a direction they should be going since it'd just portray the babyface Elites as people who're not doing a good job at managing the company and the backstage.

 

it'd be one thing if Cody were just portrayed as just another wrestler, but that's not the case. The commentators have openly talked about how he's one of the main guys with the power and responsibility to run the show.