I like the concept of The Death Riders story.
A maniacal and tyrannical leader trying to “purge” the company for the greater good. And Jon Moxley is the perfect guy for this role. He has the charisma to pull off the cult leader character and he’s done an amazing job every time he touches a mic. But…that’s just not enough.
The Lack Of Build
You see, the first problem with the Death Riders storyline was there was no build to it whatsoever. The seed of dissension should’ve been built at least three months in advance. It’s not enough for Moxley to just drop off the face of the Earth and then return as a cult skin head who has gotten fed up with what AEW has become.
The Blackpool Combat Club’s mission was never to save AEW. In fact, the BCC really stopped having a mission statement when William Regal left. The last year or so was the group fighting in meaningless matches without much story going into it. It especially became confusing when some guys were acting like heels, while others were acting like babyfaces.
If the plan was for Moxley to become this cult leader type of character then the BCC’s mission statement should’ve been clearer. The dissension with Mox and other members of the group should have been built up before he took his leave of absensce for a couple of months.
What Happened To The Casualties?
But the Death Rider’s story could’ve still worked.
It’s professional wrestling so not everything needs to be perfect. Moxley came in with an interesting and new character, and his association with Marina Shafir added more to the intrigue. For the first month or so, Moxley’s story was very compelling. The mystery helped add to the complexity, and the shocking and graphic attacks on Bryan Danielson teased something new and sinister.
But, the story fell off a cliff after Moxley won the AEW World title. Moxley has promised to burn down the forest multiple times. He promised that there would be some casualties in order to make AEW a better place. It was his place now, but the problem is that Moxley’s been making grand statements that have rung hollow.
If the AEW World Champion is gonna make statements about causing a “war” and “burning down the forest” then his mission statement should’ve been carried out from the moment he got here. All these violent attacks haven’t held any weight because most of the wrestlers that Moxley has beaten have returned within a couple of weeks.
Even after sending Bryan Danielson out on a stretcher in his final full time match feels hollow now because Bryan made an onscreen appearance jolly promoting All In. This guy was nearly suffocated to death at Wrestle Dream and he just pops back on television like nothing happened? I know he wasn't actually on Dynamite, but it still feels weird to see Danielson smiling and happy at the press confernce. It kills the illusion of what Moxley was trying to do. The only "casualty" that worked was Chuck Taylor. It's a shame more names aren't on the list.
There is no war here. Except for those brief moments of chaos, the AEW roster as a whole is perfectly fine. Darby Allin trying to get Will Ospreay to join him in his fight against the Death Riders was a bad look because the former International Champion had no fear of the group. Will's first concern was the Continental Classic. Not the group that's threatening to destroy AEW!
This is what happens when you do an angle like this. Will Ospreay should’ve been nervous that he could be on the Death Rider’s hit list. Instead, it feels that the group goes after a bunch of undercard talent and anyone who’s looking to fight for the AEW world title.
This is a big story and it should impact the entire roster; whether it’s the women’s division, tag team division, hell, even the guys and girls in Ring of Honor should be nervous that The Death Riders are claiming that it’s their company now.
And why is Tony Khan perfectly fine with Jon and his crew wreaking havoc to both the wrestlers and backstage personnel?
Does he not care about his roster and staff? Tony Khan has been established on television, so there should’ve been a segment with him doing something about this group. We never got the answer to why Jon Moxley told Tony Shiavone that this isn’t his company now. To be honest, it feels like a lot of what Jon Moxley said in the early goings of the story was to build mystery without any sort of payoff.
But The Death Riders not feeling like a genuine threat to the AEW roster isn’t the only problem.
The Heel Characters Lack Dimension
Moxley is the most compelling name in the group. His dynamic with Wheeler Yuta is a great side story that keeps them intriguing.
But what about Marina, PAC, and Claudio?
This is where this story could’ve been Bloodline levels of greatness.
How did Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley first start talking?
Is this a father/daughter dynamic? Is she a blind loyalist to Moxley’s deranged thinking? Or was it Marina Shafir who put the bug in Jon’s ear? Meaning, did she poison his mind to become this twisted cult leader? Him building up frustration over what AEW has become is believeable. But why does he feel that he needs to do this?
There’s so many intriguing questions about Shafir’s character that it’s disappointing that she’s the stereotypical, “badass girl who beats up men” character. It’s 2024, that’s just not enough anymore. Even women like Chyna or Rhea Ripley had more layers than “badass girl who beat up men.”
PAC and Claudio. They’re clearly onboard with this. They even treat Yuta like trash, but what’s in it for them? Do they really believe in Moxley’s words? Or do they have selfish reasons for standing by The Death Rider leader? They just feel like Moxley’s henchmen. Granted, they win alot so they’re not losers, but there’s not much substance behind their characters.
They follow and believe what the leader says and that’s it. The dynamic in the group could’ve been a fascinating one. It’s a shame that these three don’t have a distinct voice in the way they see the world. Sure, they can all agree with Moxley’s methods, but what convinced them to change their worldview? PAC was NOT a BCC member until July.
As I previously stated, Wheeter Yuta is the second best character in the group because there's a dimension to him that’s missing from everyone else.
Maybe I’m thinking too deeply here. This is pro wrestling, yet I’m acting like this is a David Fincher movie. But, AEW and WWE have given us deeply layered stories and characters in the past. Look at the Wyatt Sicks on their masterful videos that described why each character was in the group this past Summer. Or the intricate layers of The Bloodline saga.
Even the whole MJF/Adam Cole thing last year had a deeper level of storytelling. People forget that going into All In last year, many were claiming that it was one of AEW’s best written feuds. Then it went off the rails once we got closer to World’s End. The Hangman Page/Swerve Strickland is another great example. I don’t feel asking for deep characters and complex stories is too crazy.
It can be done. The lack of nuance between the group is another big part of why this story has run out of steam. But it’s not just the heel group that’s lacking.
The Babyfaces Are Weak Too
The four-way match seems to be more about the world title than stopping Moxley himself. At least that’s Orange Cassidy’s objective. Jay White just doesn’t fit into the story. With the level of story that AEW is trying to tell, him fighting Moxley should be more than wanting the World title.
Moxley didn’t even care that he existed before Full Gear. Imagine if White’s story was that Moxley offered him to join because he feels that he’s one of the good ones? And White turned that offer down so Moxley takes out the Bang Bang Gang for good measure. It fits the “us against the world” narrative that Moxley has and it involves the world title as well.
But this isn’t about going with my idea. My point is that this Death Rider story is bigger than the world title itself. The world title is the key to power. These guys should be trying to take back the power from a man who could reach Hitler levels of evil (at least in pro wrestling).
And why is Hangman Page here? It made no sense that he was working with Christian Cage in the first place. It felt as if Tony Khan couldn’t figure out a compelling way to add Page to the feud.
Page’s arc of getting revenge on everyone who sided with Swerve was great. That is a story that should’ve lasted deep into 2025. If he’s not winning the world title then why does he need to be fighting for it right now? There could’ve been a compelling way to get to a Hangman vs. Jon Moxley feud, but AEW had to put in the work to slowly turn Page into a likable protagonist (or anti-hero) that we can root for.
He’s still heel, but he feels even more out of place than White, especially since he’s coming off two straight loses. At least Jay White feels like the right challenger for the world title. Cassidy is coming off a loss, but he was somewhat protected because Moxley cheated.
But the story of this match just isn’t good. I can’t believe AEW decided to go with the, “tag team partners who can’t trust each other” angle. AEW rushed into a match that just wasn’t necessary to begin with.
There’s Still A Chance To Turn This Story Around
Look, I like AEW and not trying to bash it because I hate them. I don’t think the company has fallen to WCW/2019-2020 WWE. But I can’t deny that the quality has taken a noticeable dip when it comes to storytelling. When AEW misses these days, they miss hard.
Personally, The Death Riders should’ve been taking out wrestlers that they felt were the cancer of AEW. Some of those names would actually be high profile like Will Ospreay or Adam Cole. Doing that would create that fear and panic from everyone on the card because Moxley promised to burn down the forest and he’s doing it slowly every week. Villains NEED to back up their words in order for us fans to truly understand the cancer that they really are. The Death Riders feel like a generic faction that's no different than NWO or Bullet Club.
Then there would be the babyfaces that Moxley would try to recruit, but those babyfaces would reject his offer. Naturally, that would mean The Death Riders would take them out too since it’s a “with us or against us" narrative.
Then the established names such as Makalai Black, Adam Copeland, Samoa Joe, Miro, or Ricky Starks would be fighting to take away the power from The Death Riders. Those feuds should last six - eight months at the very least. Then bring back the men (and women) who were attacked and sidelined because of the Death Riders.
They would feud with the group and ultimately be the savior of AEW. So have a young guy like Darby Allin or Hook beat Moxley for the AEW World title. If Ricky Starks decided to stay in the company then he would get the belt from Mox. Have a trio (I would go with The Hurt Syndicate) beat PAC, Claudio, and Wheeler (who eventually turns on the group). And I would’ve given the AEW Women’s title to Shafir so someone like Willow Nightingale or Kamille would beat her for the belt.
But just because Tony Khan didn’t do it the way I stated, doesn’t mean this story is doomed. Creative just needs to understand what the Death Riders mission statement is and stick to it. Once this whole four way match ends then the company can go back on what Moxley originally promised. If they can do that and be consistent with the plotting then we’re in for a treat. But if we go back to constant brawls, empty promises, and little to no character development then AEW’s big story will turn out to be a flop.