AEW has produced some of the best long-term storylines in professional wrestling, with feuds such as Adam Page vs Kenny Omega offering up incredible content. However, even with their good, there has been some bad when it comes to rivalries, specifically when feuds come to a close.
Even after a great feud, the closing parts have ended up in the worst way, muddying what had been a wonderful build. AEW may be quite consistent on a week-to-week basis, but there is still a lot of learning to do when it comes to booking, with some of these showing examples of poor booking leading to bad feud endings, although there are other factors too.
10 Chris Jericho Vs MJF
For many months, Chris Jericho and MJF had been on a journey, becoming friends and stablemates to sworn and bitter enemies. Their issues went on for a little too long with too many matches between their warring factions, but things finally came to an end at All Out 2021.
MJF, being the younger and more promising star, should have undoubtedly gone over here, but it was Jericho who got the rub and the deciding victory, in a decision that felt completely baffling.
9 Matt Hardy Vs Orange Cassidy
The rivalry between Matt Hardy and Orange Cassidy went on for well over three months, with things feeling as though it was headed in the direction of a Hair vs Hair match. However, AEW seemingly backed out on this by having a Hair vs Hair match between Cassidy and Jack Evans instead.
The feud between Hardy and Cassidy, which had stretched for months by this point, finally met in a… Lumberjack Match, which was a hugely underwhelming way to complete their rivalry. It was overbooked, and it under-delivered.
8 Britt Baker Vs Big Swole
When Britt Baker picked up a broken nose, AEW decided to keep her on TV, which was a great choice as it saw her heel persona build up. During that time, Big Swole began feuding with Baker, with their rivalry lasting for quite some time.
It was a rare instance of a non-title women’s feud getting significant time, which was a huge positive. However, they settled their differences in a Tooth & Nail match, and it was truly awful. In terms of cinematic matches, it was one of the worst ones throughout the pandemic and brought an end to this rivalry with a hard-to-watch match.
7 Young Bucks Vs Hardy Boyz
This battle between two generational tag teams was something that ROH did a few years back, but in 2022 it didn’t quite have the same magic. The feud itself wasn’t too flashy, and their match at Double or Nothing was a little disjointed at times.
The Bucks and Hardy Boyz were then set to square off alongside Jurassic Express for the Tag Titles, in what looked to kickstart one last hurrah for the Hardy Boyz. However, with Jeff Hardy’s arrest and suspension, plans were changed and fans never saw this happen.
6 MJF Vs Wardlow
The build-up to the fallout of MJF and Wardlow was one another example of fantastic long-term storytelling from AEW. Their rivalry was super hot heading into Double or Nothing, with Wardlow on fire.
However, due to real-life conflict with Tony Khan, MJF nearly walked out on the event, with this story stealing the headlines, and taking away from Wardlow’s star-making moment. His momentum hasn’t been the same since.
5 Brian Cage Vs Team Taz
Brian Cage’s gradual face turn was well done, with him eventually breaking away from Team Taz, starting a feud with his former stablemates. However, after some bland storytelling, Cage lost to both Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs, and then disappeared from TV.
This was such a poor way to end a long-term alliance, with some average matches and no proper storytelling, all leading to a TV regular going missing for months and months.
4 Cody Rhodes Vs Malakai Black
The whole feud between Cody Rhodes and Malakai Black was a little overdone, with a lot of emphasis on the light vs dark themes. Black defeated Rhodes twice in a row though, which looked to firmly establish him in AEW.
However, the feud didn’t end, with Rhodes being booked to win their final and most decisive encounter. This stunted Black’s momentum, and it furthered the negativity fans had aimed toward Rhodes. AEW had a chance to be bold and have Black win 3-0 against Rhodes, but they went with the cliched option of the pure face standing tall and overcoming all the odds.
3 Eddie Kingston Vs Chris Jericho
For many months, Eddie Kingston and Chris Jericho had been at each other’s throats. There were some strong promos, angles, and matches along the way, including an enjoyable clash at Revolution, with the pair also involved in a violent Blood & Guts match.
Their rivalry continued though as they battled in a Barbed Wire Everywhere match. Not only did Kingston lose (which was an unpopular decision), but the match was also a complete mess. Disjointed action, needless violence, and a botched ending closed out this long feud on a sour note.
2 CM Punk Vs MJF
The storyline between CM Punk and MJF had been told to complete perfection, with their matches on Dynamite and the Revolution PPV being absolutely stellar. The score between them was 1-1, and upon CM Punk World Title win and MJF’s return at All Out, the stage looked set for a deciding clash.
However, with Punk’s outburst at the All Out press conference (along with an injury), he was stripped of the gold, taking away any chance of this stunning story ever getting a proper conclusion. The feud ended with a stare-down, followed by the biggest AEW controversy to date.
1 Kenny Omega Vs Jon Moxley
A feud which started at AEW’s very first PPV came to a head two years later at the 2021 Revolution PPV, with Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega clashing in a hugely anticipated Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch.
After a fine match, the ring was set to explode in what looked set to become an iconic moment. However, the explosion was a dud, with the show going off the air with boos from the crowd, ending their rivalry with a disastrous PPV ending.