Photo credit: AEW Music In times of difficulty, the idealism of social and cultural movements often collides with the realities of a capitalist society, which can cause leaders to abandon their values while fighting for the future of the movements they built. The story of Matthew and Nicholas Jackson can be seen as a case study in this phenomenon. These articles are an analysis of social issues through the lens of kayfabe. Read the prior installment of Keeping It Elite here.

As very difficult times have arisen for The Elite, including a hiatus for The Young Bucks and the end of Being The Elite being reported by Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer, it’s crucial to reflect on The Elite Way, a valuable and unique set of principles that led to the historic success of AEW. The goal of this series, Keeping It Elite, is to foster discussion that keeps these ideas at the forefront. Photo Credit: Being The Elite This episode of Being The Elite came at a di

The Dark Order contributes to a thriving AEW ecosystem. Likewise, groups like it following a mutual aid model are critical to thriving communities. Both should not be forgotten, even as we “return to normal.” Photo Credit: Lee Smith/AEW The Dark Order has perhaps experienced the most pain and disappointment of any faction in AEW as of late. It has lost the majority of its members, most recently Stu Grayson, became primarily a Ring of Honor attraction after a good streak of b

AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy has proven he was never lazy; he was prioritizing what he valued, saving his energy, and having fun being himself until he found something worth fighting for. In doing so, he points to a new path to success that eschews the norms of wrestling, and even of work itself. Photo Credit: Carter Sterling Orange Cassidy is perhaps the most unlikely champion in the history of the sport of professional wrestling. He walks to the ring in jeans,

While we often hear that remaining calm, passively observing our negative thoughts, and accepting our problems is the way to handle adversity, Jon Moxley is showing that fighting can have the power to heal like nothing else. His brutal feud with “Hangman” Adam Page is creating the ideal path to redemption, and this approach may align with a forgotten psychological theory. To join the Blackpool Combat Club, it has been said that one must “bleed” with one of its members, a pecu

Just as in our current political state, when alleged leaders rise and claim to be our answer, but occupy alignment contrary to the common man, they must be questioned and exposed. Photo: AEW, WrestleTalk Note: Greyson Peltier's columns discuss the fight to Change The World, through the lens of kayfabe, and present a progressive perspective. I walked into the AEW Dynamite show in Los Angeles on June 1st somewhat defeated, as a loyal supporter of Adam Page, carrying a sign say

Adam Page shows us how to turn “anxious masculinity” into personal and social victory, and solve a key challenge of our current political state. Photo: All Elite Wrestling Note: Greyson Peltier’s columns feature social analysis and discuss the fight to Change The World, through the lens of kayfabe. Strong language may be used and concepts presented may not represent conventional practices. In The Washington Post, Paul Waldman recently wrote about “anxious masculinity” being

Photo: Being The Elite Having sold out shows doesn’t mean you have to sell out. This article will utilize practices and theories from the study of social movements, leadership theories, case studies of business success, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), viewing the subcultural movement of AEW as a distinct community and culture. (Hence, AEW being an alternative culture as such is one assumption of this analysis.) The concepts here are intended to be generalizable to

This reignited feud has very real parallels to known issues in alternative culture leadership. CM Punk shows the foibles many of these leaders fall into. Adam Page helps us see a path forward and teaches lessons in social responsibility in the face of both victory and defeat. I have previously discussed Adam Page as a values-based leader as a World Champion, and his approach as such continues even after dropping the title. The first and most important thing is that Adam Page

Watching pro wrestling has inspired me, and many others, to get myself in better shape and to focus more on building muscle and strength. I have many times picked up the weights while watching Dynamite, being motivated by seeing these elite athletes and the results of their hard work. Seeing the variety of body types, even the “imperfect” but still athletic physiques, and their evolution throughout the year as compared to the idealized window of a single peak day photo was he

Note: Greyson Peltier’s columns feature social analysis and discuss the fight to Change The World, through the lens of kayfabe. Strong language may be used and concepts presented may not represent conventional practices. In my previous analyses of Hangman Adam Page, I have explained how he is an ideal athlete-activist for helping to counter intolerant ideologies in young men, a values-based leader, and a game-changer in terms of engaging a quietly growing segment of rural Ame

It is important to highlight the distinctives and significance of Adam Page’s championship to AEW and beyond, and how they have been fulfilled in this period, even as criticisms of his championship run have arisen. Note: Greyson Peltier’s columns feature social analysis and discuss the fight to Change The World, through the lens of kayfabe. Strong language may be used and concepts presented may not represent conventional practices. Though Adam “Hangman” Page is not presently

Since Cody Rhodes announced his departure from AEW after months of a lapsed contract but no specific plans laid out, there has been much speculation by both fans and industry journalists on his next move. The idea of a return to WWE has been most prominent, with some sources claiming he is in talks with them, along with the idea of him joining another promotion or starting his own, but many have also pointed back to his political aspirations and are wondering if that may be h

Note: Greyson Peltier’s columns feature social analysis and discuss the fight to Change The World, through the lens of kayfabe. Strong language may be used and concepts presented may not represent conventional practices. Recently, major publications like the New York Times and The New Yorker have featured commentaries postulating on the a possibility of a new Civil War in the United States. Experts have theorized that this so-called war would appear as a series of decentraliz

This is not intended as a comprehensive response to the recent situation involving Tony Khan and Big Swole, but is rather a general framework for the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in pro wrestling’s unique culture, annotated with examples from this incident. Ideas presented may deviate from standard practices in the field and strong language may be used. I have been outspoken in viewing this latest generation of pro wrestling specifically less as a conventional “

The recent incident with Seth Rollins appears to have some unique circumstances involving an “imposter scam” and this analysis does not specifically cover those, but rather merely elucidates one theory around the general phenomenon of wrestling fans seeking to directly involve themselves in the storyline. One of the most beautiful things about the sport of pro wrestling is that it inspires fans to show the strength and courage necessary to win in life against the most impassi

A new generation of anxious millennial cowboys has been quietly revitalizing the country lifestyle in their own image, abandoning negative attitudes put on them by society, building strength, creating community, and waiting for their time to shine. Like for “Hangman” Adam Page, that time is now. Note: Greyson Peltier’s columns feature social analysis and discuss the fight to Change The World, through the lens of kayfabe. Strong language may be used. When I first started to ge

...or Men of the Year From the moment he arrived in AEW, Dan Lambert has adopted the classic heel tactic of insulting the fans based on their personal flaws and insecurities, while attacking the revival of the sport they love, maintaining the ostensible ability to change his mind for a dialectical approach. However, his commentary and the response to it are more significant than just a wrestling promo. They specifically are positioned as an affront to the AEW movement, the re

I have long held that there is more in common between the artistically curated combat of pro wrestling and the creatively driven cultures of “action sports” like skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding these cultures have with MMA. This is bucking against the going wisdom in the scene and among brands is that MMA is the ideal crossover for action sports, while pro wrestling has been largely looked over. To be clear, I am not discounting the athletes who crossover between the

Photo: Ed Webster From the very outset of his entrance into the United Center, CM chose to live his truest punk ideals and his fans reciprocated. But the way they did so collectively eschews the popular image of punk, following the higher ideal of punk culture and continuing AEW’s way of changing the wrestling game with egalitarian attitudes, total authenticity, embracing emotions, and positive community. The classic intro Cult of Personality of course played as CM Punk enter