Dave Meltzer Assesses AEW's 'Problematic' Booking

Since the final moments of AEW WrestleDream earlier this month, namely Jon Moxley putting either a temporary or permanent end to Bryan Danielson's in-ring career, all hell has broken loose. The Blackpool Combat Club, led by Moxley, is focused on burning down the very company that gave Moxley a new home after leaving WWE, and rebuilding it in their image. Other members of the AEW locker room remain vigilant in restoring order, but so far, all they've been met with is disarray and anguish. In this week's "Wrestling Observer Newsletter," Dave Meltzer assessed BCC's importance versus AEW, and whether the storyline remains explosively entertaining or has become lukewarm.

Based on his examination, Meltzer began his newsletter by stating that while they are focusing on the younger talent within AEW, which is good, the current booking is "problematic," adding that BCC is very much like the NWO, with their babyface challengers (The Conglomeration, Dark Order, Jeff Jarrett's crew, Top Flight, and Daniel Garcia) looking weak and not so hot right now.

A paradigm shift could be looming with Orange Cassidy, who Garcia and Chuck Taylor have noted could be the final nail in the BCC coffin. So far, Cassidy is the only man enlisted who has beaten Moxley before in championship situations, like their International Title match at Full Gear last year. After watching Taylor get taken out on a stretcher during the closing moments of this week's "AEW Dynamite," an unhinged Cassidy promised to take care of this issue at next week's Fright Night "Dynamite."

As far as the top babyfaces of the company are concerned, Meltzer noted that guys like Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay have their crosses to bear with MVP and Shelton Benjamin, as well as Kyle Fletcher and The Don Callis Family, respectively. Strickland returned at WrestleDream after his fourth barbaric showdown with "Hangman" Adam Page at All Out in September to dismiss joining MVP and Benjamin's newly re-imagined Hurt Business. Benjamin and Strickland are set to face off next week. Also at WrestleDream, Fletcher cost Ospreay his second reign with the International Championship, allowing Konosuke Takeshita to pick up his first title in AEW. Fletcher laid out a challenge to Ospreay to settle their differences for next week, but Ospreay has yet to acccept. After their rivalries have concluded, there is no indication of whether they'll be involved with the BCC storyline.

There is one name that hasn't been mentioned recently: Darby Allin. Moxley, who cost Allin his AEW World Championship match at WrestleDream, has not been seen since the pay-per-view event. Allin, who won a singles rematch against longtime rival Brody King, has been hiding in the shadows lately. Prior to WrestleDream, many had speculated, including Meltzer, that Allin was within arms' reach of becoming the newly crowned champion; however, those plans have changed. That does not mean Allin will not return as a top contender for the title soon.   

Meltzer's overall concern is that this storyline has not established a hero for people to believe in, which will soil the growth that could come from this feud. However, that could change after Cassidy's planned confrontation against BCC next week on "Dynamite."