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. I have...

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 difficult time and...

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 being featured on...