Is AEW Actually Bad At Booking Factions?

Highlights

• AEW's booking of factions has been a mixed bag, with several failed examples like The Pinnacle and The Outcasts.
• The successes include groups like The Elite and The Inner Circle, but fans are growing tired of the constant friend-switching within factions.
• AEW's reputation as a faction-based company isn't the best, as many wrestlers get lost in the shuffle and struggle to establish themselves as singles stars.

From pretty much day one, AEW has been looked at as a “factions” company, with almost everyone on the roster being closely associated with at least one other wrestler at minimum, whether that be in a friendship, tag team, or faction. There have been a whole load of factions throughout AEW history jam-packed full of great names and talented individuals. On the surface, this booking of factions has been positive and loved by fans. Under the surface though, AEW’s booking of factions hasn’t been all that great, and when looking back over the history of the company, more and more examples crop up of AEW failing to book groups well, offering an argument that they are not great at using these factions.

AEW Have Failed Several Factions

Unfortunately for AEW, there have been quite a few examples of factions which haven’t quite worked out. One of the more glaring examples was The Pinnacle, a group which had so many talented names, potential, and initially a great presentation. Unfortunately though, AEW dropped the ball with The Pinnacle after just one feud with The Inner Circle. There was no more high production value, the group stopped hanging out, and any chances of it being the second coming of the Four Horsemen was gone.

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Over on the women’s division side, The Baddies had potential to lead AEW, but a lack of screen time, zero actual feuds as a group, and a rushed breakup led to no one coming out of that group looking better. It was an interesting side of Jade Cargill’s character, but it was abandoned. The Outcasts were another failed act, and despite early potential to be AEW’s equivalent of the “Outsiders”, they instead felt like something right out of WWE’s divas division with terrible character work, poor content, and the use of things like spray paint just didn’t work out well.

Even initial successes like the Dark Order petered out over time with their booking being ruined, and other acts like the Jericho Appreciation Society had no one benefit in the long run. There have been some complete disasters such as the Nightmare Collective, the Hardy Family Office, QTV, The Factory, the original Moguls, and several more over the course of AEW's history. Tony Khan has had a tendency to just go half the way with his booking stables, and sometimes not even that, such as with The Firm, who were left out to dry from pretty much day one.

There Have Been Some Successes With AEW Factions

Not everything has been bad for AEW’s groups. The likes of The Elite, Blackpool Combat Club, and The Inner Circle worked out well. For instance, the Inner Circle helped to elevate the likes of Sammy Guevara, and they were involved in some all-time great feuds and moments early on (though it must be said they had their ups and downs from a booking perspective). The Elite were especially strong when Kenny Omega was at his height as a heel, with the group being involved in a tremendous story with Adam Page. Again though, fans are growing a little tired of the constant recycling of “who is friends with who” in this faction.

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The Blackpool Combat Club has been kept consistently strong, with several world class names involved. What makes this group work is that AEW haven’t shied away from allowing each man to go off and do their own thing for a little while, but still remaining aligned with the BCC in the aftermath. This worked with The Inner Circle too back when they were around. Other recent acts which have worked are The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass, Bullet Club Gold, and arguably Death Triangle and House of Black, though there is an argument to be made both for and against them working out well.

AEW Has Struggled Booking Most Of Their Groups

It must be said that overall there have been more failures within AEW when it comes to factions, and their reputation for being a faction-based company isn’t the best. One recurring issue has been that with a bloated roster and everyone being aligned with someone else, it is hard to build someone up as a singles star. Additionally, wrestlers are often getting lost in the shuffle after a push, settling back into a group and no longer feeling like a top name.

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It doesn’t help that the likes of WWE have done such a strong job with The Bloodline and Judgment Day in the last couple of years, which have both arguably been booked better than any group in AEW. The commitment behind putting these groups at the top of the tree has made them feel strong, whereas in AEW no faction has truly dominated every division at one time. This would be something that would be advised, as it helps build up babyfaces to take them down too.