Following WrestleDream on October 12, AEW appeared to initiate a soft reset, aiming to enhance its storylines for the future while working to recover from declines in ratings compared to the previous year.
On the “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Dave Meltzer discussed AEW’s current state, sharing his observations from attending the October 16 episode of “AEW Dynamite” in person. He expressed concerns about the lack of main event stars within the company.
According to Meltzer, “Christian Cage and Jay White do not qualify as main event talent. There are main eventers, and then there are skilled wrestlers. While you can create main eventers, they must actually reach that status first.
This was a clear instance… It simply wasn’t a main event, and nothing substantial was promoted. While the live experience was enjoyable, the show lacked memorable matches and compelling storylines—though there was the follow-up on Jon Moxley after the pay-per-view and the Adam Cole promo, which people saw right at the start. AEW needs quality matches to retain viewers.”
Bryan Alvarez, Meltzer’s co-host, pointed out that AEW has been placing greater emphasis on promoting matches and shows ahead of time. Multiple matches have already been scheduled for events weeks in advance, as of this writing.
Meltzer acknowledged this as a positive step, but emphasized that to attract audiences and sell tickets, the matches must be ones that fans genuinely want to see, regardless of their promotional efforts.