What Has Happened To Hook In AEW?
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At one point, Hook was someone in AEW who was getting some of the loudest pops and reactions out of everybody on the entire roster, and he looked on the verge of breaking out as a huge star. However, things have been inconsistent for Hook as time has gone on, and a big part of that is the state of his booking. It isn’t all doom and gloom, but it is safe to say that he is far from what he could and probably should have been when considering how hugely over he was following his in-ring debut in the company.
Hook’s Debut Was The Perfect Introduction To His AEW In-Ring Career
Hook made his AEW debut at the back end of 2021, and his first steps in the ring were much-anticipated by the fans who had drummed up a bit of a cult following for the very minor character of Team Taz. Hook’s cool aura and the fact that he hadn’t uttered a word had led to fans making memes about him, and it led up to a hot first match against Fuego Del Sol on an episode of AEW Rampage. In a huge surprise, Hook showcased himself to be a flashy performer who produced every move with conviction and smoothness beyond his years.
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His debut was absolutely perfect, and his uncaring and ass-kicking persona came across wonderfully. Hook was an instant success, and AEW continued to provide him with squash matches to get fans used to seeing him compete, and upon each appearance the fans went crazy. Steadily, the caliber of his opponents increased, defeating the likes of Bear Bronson, Aaron Solo, Serpentico, and then QT Marshall at the Revolution 2022 Buy-In, which proved to be the perfect first feud for Hook. However, what initially seemed to be a wonderful next step has proven to be a mistake for his booking his AEW.
AEW Have Missed Opportunities With Hook
Over the next couple of months, Hook’s appearances on TV began to get very infrequent to the point where it was affecting his momentum, however things took a turn when he and Danhausen formed an unlikely alliance. Their partnership was an instant hit with fans, and the Hookhausen tag team could have become a big deal going forwards. Unfortunately, after just one match this alliance was abandoned without any explanation.
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After another month of inactivity, Hook showed up on Dynamite and dethroned Ricky Starks to win the FTW Championship in an open challenge. Starks had just defeated Danhausen, and given Starks’ and Hook’s history in the Team Taz stable, there was a lot of depth to this segment. Given that though, there should have been a lot more build towards this title change, especially since the FTW Title was created by Hook’s own father, Taz. A title pursuit for Hook, in which Starks made life difficult for him in a feud, could have been the catalyst for Hook becoming a major singles star. The victory itself was strong, but it could have been better.
Hook’s Booking Needs To Improve For Him To Become A Star
A minor feud which saw Hook team with Action Bronson was fine yet not anything special, and his one or two matches per month led to him feeling a little stale at times. Undefeated streaks in wrestling can be fun, but when matches are spread out in this way, it is less impactful. Goldberg was beating folk each and every week in WCW, but Hook shows up once a month (per cagematch.net) to beat a jobber. The most recent instance of Hook getting thrown in another tag team feud has been with Jungle Boy, in an alliance which once again had promise, but was once again abandoned, this time due to Jungle Boy stating that he wants singles success instead of being confined to a team. As evidenced by his teaming up with Danhausen and Jungle Boy, it seems as though Hook is going to continue being the “straight” guy in thrown-together tag teams, and that isn’t a role that he should continue to have.
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After over a year competing in AEW, Hook has made very little movement up the card. He has managed to retain popularity, but if another year goes by without any real progress or any character development, then he could be a case of a huge missed opportunity. There have been many potential stars who have grown stale and stagnated due to little to no movement up or down the card in AEW, such as Miro, Malakai Black, and more. With the overflowing roster of stars in the company, it feels unlikely that Hook will break into even the TNT Championship picture any time soon, which is a huge shame.
