AEW RISING AND FADING STARS: Darby Allin back as a weekly fixture, Juice Robinson without facial hair, Jon Moxley on a post-title reign roll, AEW’s depleted babyface division

Welcome everyone!

Another week of AEW television is about to kick off on the road to Canada and All Out. So let’s look back at the first week of the 2300 Arena (a/k/a ECW Arena) residency.

First, I love the smaller venues AEW is going to. So I am not someone immediately taken out of the moment by the arenas. I think it makes the PPV’s feel that much bigger. All in Texas and Forbidden Door looked amazing visually on top of being good to great shows.

Now, I will say the last residency did wear on me by the end. So, maybe I will be singing a different tune by the time we get to Sept. 17 and they are in Canada.

Let’s get to the list!

Rising Star of the Week

Darby Allin

He has 4 wins in last 6 matches. He has 7 straight appearances on Dynamite

Finally! Darby Allin is back to being a weekly fixture on AEW television. This week was a Darby-heavy episode of Dynamite. He had a vignette with him, painting a canvas in his own blood, challenging Jon Moxley at All Out. That was answered by Wheeler Yuta and Yuta said that Mox is not going to face Darby.

The main event of Dynamite was a no rules match with Darby facing Claudio Castagnoli. A big tribute to the chaotic ECW style. What a match it was.

Darby won in the end and I am guessing he is now going to face another member of the Death Riders. The question is who? Yuta or Gabe Kidd?

Darby has proved, once again, he is one of the top babyfaces in the company this week. Darby is not someone who needs a belt for him to be successful, either. He has niche that compliments his style perfectly. It’s like a weird mix of Mick Foley and Spine Dudley. Regardless if you like his style, you can not deny how much the fans respond to Darby.

1st Runner Up: Jon Moxley

He has 3 straight singles wins since losing the AEW World Title rematch

Always a fixture on Dynamite

Jon Moxley is how you rebuild a former World Champion after they lose the title and the subsequent rematch. Mox didn’t go away after his rematch. Instead, he already had his next feud with Darby lined up.

You also have Gabe Kidd now being around semi-regularly. Along with Mox recruiting Kris Statlander and now Daniel Garcia you have a refocused Mox and Death Riders. I can’t wait to see where they go from here.

Where will the Darby and Mox feud go this week? I, for one, can not way to find out.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Fading Star of the Week

Juice Robinson

He has 4 Losses in last 6 matches

He’s had zero Dynamite matches since returning from injury at All In Texas in July

Where to start with Juice Robinson. Are the Bang Bang Gang or Bullet Club Gold injury-cursed? They are almost never at full strength. This time around, Juice returned healthy but the leader of the group Jay White is potentially done for the year. Then, on Juice’s first appearance back on television, Colten Gunn goes down with an injury. Just some bad luck.

So now Juice is teaming with the least charismatic member of the group (my apologies to Austin Gunn), but look who you are surrounded by.

Juice can be a valuable member of this roster. I’m not sure where that could be and maybe where he is might be his ceiling. That said, it’s not much of a ceiling when you lose to Big Bill on Collision.

It’s time to let the Juice lose. Bring back that unhinged, crazy-eyed, crazy-bearded, and screaming-on-the-mic guy that AEW fans fell in love with. You know, the Juice that got over huge in New Japan. Will we see that Juice again? Only time will tell.

1st Runners Up: The men’s division of main event babyfaces

Well, it’s official. AEW is without two of their biggest stars in Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland. Both have been huge parts of the face side this past year. Sadly, they are just being added to a list that keeps growing.

So you have Ospreay and Strickland. Adding them to Jay White, Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston, and Bryan Danielson and you are missing a huge chunk of fan favorites right now. Luckily, Darby just came back to give you one for the good guys, but there are way more gone.

Where to go from here? Well, one guy on the roster they are trying to elevate is Mark Briscoe. Which I like but it feels like he has a ceiling that maxes out right under true main eventer.

Once Kingston and OC come back, they will be a shot in the arm. Another way is to turn someone from the super-deep heel side and there is one name that can turn and instantly be in the main events: Konosuke Takeshita

Takeshita, along with Darby and “Hangman” Adam Page, you have three great babyfaces at the top. Then you can sprinkle Briscoe, Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, and Kenny Omega into the main events when needed. Just a suggestion. I am wondering how they will fill the babyface void going forward.