Backstage Report On Morale Among AEW Personnel

Tony Khan has literally promised that 2024 will be a huge year for AEW, and it appears the locker room is feeling similarly optimistic. The company has toiled with backstage altercations and residual tension, such was even the topic of focus during "AEW: All Access" as Britt Baker's issues with Thunder Rosa aired on TV. Likewise, most infamously CM Punk was fired from AEW last year after altercations with The Elite in 2022, his later fight with Jack Perry at All In causing his firing. But Dave Meltzer reported in the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" that it's been noted morale has really picked up, and is the best it has been for some time. 

However, Meltzer also reported an impression of disappointment towards this week's "AEW Dynamite" rating, and the fact that Khan's big announcement transpired to be a "Dynamite" special. It's continually speculated that "Big Business", the March 13 special, could see not only the debut of Mercedes Mone — who is believed to have signed with AEW — but also Kazuchika Okada. Okada has been expected to join AEW since news broke that his NJPW deal would expire on January 31, despite major interest from WWE. The prevailing belief was said to be that Khan's announcement would have been better served by announcing either of them alongside the special. 

This week's "Dynamite" had cause for celebration, as Sting won the AEW World Tag Team Championship less than a month before calling a close on his 30-year-plus career at the Revolution event. Albeit, Sting and Darby Allin's celebrations were cut short as they came under a bloody attack from The Young Bucks.