Eric Bischoff Critiques AEW’s Handling of the Mystery Devil Angle

Eric Bischoff, a well-known figure in the wrestling industry, has voiced his concerns about AEW’s approach to the mysterious devil masked persona appearing on AEW Dynamite. Starting with its first sighting on September 27, the devil’s identity has intrigued fans, but Bischoff fears the enigma surrounding the character is fading.

Speaking on the “83 Weeks” podcast, Bischoff and co-host Conrad Thompson discussed how AEW’s casual marketing strategies, like releasing a devil-themed t-shirt, could diminish the anticipation for the character’s reveal. Thompson jests that AEW is a step away from simply saying “The Devil Is All Elite,” mocking the pattern of how AEW reveals their new signees.

Relating this mishap to a common critique faced by AEW and its president, Tony Khan, Bischoff mentioned the over-promising nature of some of AEW’s announcements. He brought up Christian Cage’s debut, which had been overly hyped by Khan. Bischoff believes that if Khan had refrained from building up the debut, Christian’s arrival would have had a more significant impact, tripling his “stock” in the eyes of the fans.

The critique from Bischoff underscores a broader issue that AEW may need to address: refining their promotional strategies to enhance the surprise element and retain the luster of their storylines and character debuts. The wrestling community often applauds surprises and well-executed story arcs, so attention to this feedback could bolster AEW’s appeal and keep audiences captivated by the unfolding narratives.