From the earliest days of All Elite Wrestling, its glue has existed in the relationship of the very founders themselves. The Elite. As they went, so did the company. Through the highs, the lows, and the discourse that AEW didn’t develop stories sufficiently enough. I have to admit, I personally find that criticism a little odd. Look no further than the very story that the company was built upon. It’s one that is still thriving today.
In this rabid fan’s humble opinion, it’s the most captivating in all of wrestling. Now sure, there is quite a dedicated investment there. I’ve been there since the early days. Some fans may not know the more intricate details. Those could be refreshed rather easily, and perhaps they should be as the story ultimately reaches its climax. I trust AEW won’t let this story fizzle.
The story itself is built upon love, as all of the best stories are. Not only stitched together by the love the group of four men have for each other but also by the love the fans have in each of them. For many of us, our continued dedication to professional wrestling is thanks in large part to their contributions to the business. They saved a countless many of us. In more ways than one I imagine.
The seeds of simplicity in which the story has been grown over many years is where the true genius is found. How do you elicit emotion so real and powerful that it can carry an entire company if need be? You make it relatable. You feed them pieces of reality that they can apply to their everyday lives. You make them FEEL it as though it’s happening to them. It’s not easy, but it works. Every time.
I’m not sure when AEW initially wanted to tell this story to its finish. As ironic as the statement may be, wrestling is unpredictable. Injuries happen. People come and go. Pandemics. Press conferences. It’s a beautiful nightmare sometimes. It doesn’t matter though. The more time that passed, the more chapters we were gifted.
On the precipice of a moment that could be true magic, reflecting on the events that brought us to this point makes me emotional. Previous readers won’t be surprised by my admission, but for those reading me for the first time, I cry over wrestling quite often. It’s a thing. What makes this story unique though is how much of it I can apply to my own life.
I see their sadness and I feel my own deep inside. I absorb their regret and I remember mine. I stare into their longing eyes and they’re ever familiar. We all make decisions that stay with us for a lifetime. No one is perfect. The story they’re telling is one that can resonate with everyone if we let it.
I don’t talk about my personal life on social media too much. For one, you’re here to read about wrestling, not me. Secondly, I used to and quickly learned that there are people who will take any little breadcrumb you leave them and will weaponize it against you. Your vulnerability can so easily be used to fuel their hatred and rage.
Still, as it relates to the Elite’s story, I feel I need to share just a little bit. Bear with me. Back to wrestling soon, I promise.
Until very recently, I didn’t have a relationship with my parents. The reasons are complicated and messy. Ultimately, they don’t matter. Even when things were at their worst, not a day passed me by when I didn’t wonder what they were doing. Did they think about me too?
So, when I see Matt’s eyes when he looks at Hangman in the ring, I recognize that same wonder. It plays out on BTE, and that’s one thing, but when put together it is beautiful work. The pain on Hangman’s face when he even mentions the Young Bucks is believable, both because he’s a fantastic actor but also because we all know that same pain!
Some days, I’d find myself holding my phone in my hand. It would’ve been easy enough to send a text or dial a number. Just to hear my mom’s voice again. But what if she answered? What if she didn’t want to hear from me? What if it went badly? What if it just made everything worse?
We all have these conversations with ourselves, right? We tell ourselves that what is done is done. Many of us are far too proud to admit that we made mistakes so monumental that relationships were devastated as a result. We fear that it’s too late.
I see this all over this story, particularly with Kenny. I see the way he looks at Hangman and I don’t see malice or distrust, like I believe we’re being led to believe exists between the two. I see a man who believes his own mistakes were too severe to right. I see a man whose heart is fragile and who is afraid of what one single conversation could mean.
I allowed more than half of my life to pass by without more contact than a couple of messages. The reason our relationship ended was one many might call unforgivable, and for much of that time, I didn’t want or need a reconciliation. I accepted what was and didn’t think about what could be. There is nothing wrong with that.
One thing I never considered was that a day would come when there would no longer be the option of a choice. I lived that late last year with my father. Because of that, I found myself with two options. Go back to wondering again. Every day. Even with the understanding that I was fine and living my best life. Or take a chance with the once familiar. It wasn’t an easy choice, but what worthwhile ones are ever easy? So, I made a difficult and often still awkward one. I went home.
As Matt, Nick, Adam, and Kenny push forward to hopeful reconciliation, for the greater good of us all, my emotions remain tied in knots all over this whole sprawling story. For all the reasons and more I outlined above, when that moment finally happens, tears will flow. I know I’m not alone in that.
The dedication of these four men to deliver this story to the standard they have is to be admired. It’s art. It really is. There is so much potential is these types of stories within wrestling. They’re simple in concept but complicated in practice. You have to make us feel. There is no doubt they have.
So, now we wait. We wait for the culmination of so much pent up regret, sadness, and time lost. Keep watching their eyes. Notice the turmoil on Kenny’s face and the hopefulness on Hangman’s.
Wrestlers belong in the ring. In many ways, it’s their home. And what makes a home?
The people you love.
For the Elite, the time to go home is now. From now on.
