AEW sees the Death Riders storyline differently than fans do.
The general reaction to AEW programming in recent times has been more positive than before. The company had seen a decline in interest in the past couple of years as the promotion strayed away from their original formula. With Tony Khan taking more control in recent times, fans have seen a general improvement in the product, and the promotion seems to be gaining momentum once again.
The one complaint that has persisted, however, is the continuation of the Death Riders storyline. Many fans believe that the group has lost its charm and that AEW should do away with the whole story, putting the world title on a different star.
Though the officials do not seem to agree with the sentiment. In a new report about the finish to the Dynasty PPV, Fightful Select provided an update on the Death Riders storyline. They noted that the AEW Top Brass see the whole thing as a success:
“AEW internally has touted the success of the Death Riders and Moxley winning the title, citing a disconnect with online fans. AEW claims that the company’s live+dvr quarters have climbed throughout the year with Moxley as champion, peaking with the Moxley vs. Cope street fight.”
The ending of the Dynasty PPV this past Sunday saw Jon Moxley retaining the AEW title over Swerve Strickland. This came after The Young Bucks made their surprise return and took out Swerve. The site noted that there was never a plan for Strickland to win this match and that Mox has been planned for a lengthy title run since before he won the championship.
It’s unclear if the Young Bucks had always been factored into the finish for the PPV, as many in the company were not sure how long they would be out of action. A theory is that Jay White was originally planned to be part of the main event in some capacity before his injury forced the company to change things up.
