| 1 | [[center: [-[[Characters/AllEliteWrestling Main Character Index]] | [[Characters/AllEliteWrestlingMaleWrestlers Male Wrestlers]] | [[Characters/AllEliteWrestlingFemaleWrestlers Female Wrestlers]] | '''Tag Teams & Factions''' | [[Characters/AllEliteWrestlingBroadcastCoachesManagers Broadcast Team, Coaches & Managers]] | [[Characters/AllEliteWrestlingGuestTalent Notable Guest Talent]] | [[Characters/AllEliteWrestlingFormerTalent Former Talent]]]]-] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | This is a list of tag teams and factions (current and former) on the Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling roster. |
| 4 | ---- |
| 5 | |
| 6 | [[folder:Tag Teams]] |
| 7 | !!!Wrestling/TheYoungBucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) - ''Executive Vice-Presidents'' '''AEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS''' |
| 8 | ---- |
| 9 | |
| 10 | !!!Wrestling/LuchaBrothers ([[Wrestling/PentagonJr Penta el Cero Miedo]] and [[Wrestling/{{Fenix}} Rey Fenix]]) |
| 11 | ---- |
| 12 | * CatchPhrase: "Zero Miedo!" for Penta. |
| 13 | * DarkerAndEdgier: After being hit by Malakai Black's Black Mist, Penta began slowly turning into "Penta Oscuro" (based on his "Pentagon Dark" persona from Wrestling/LuchaUnderground), dressing appropriately in black clothing and with a new {{Leitmotif}} as his entrance music. {{Averted}} by mid-2022 when he returned to Penta el Cero Miedo. |
| 14 | * HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: {{Zigzagged}}; the brothers are primarily {{Heel}}s in AEW, but {{Face}}s in their home promotion AAA down in Mexico. However, depending on who they're feuding with in AEW, they might be the ones considered as the {{Face}}s since their opponents (like The Young Bucks in 2021 and The House of Black in 2022) are established villains. |
| 15 | * MaskedLuchador |
| 16 | * RealLifeRelative: Penta and Fenix are real life brothers. |
| 17 | * ShoutOut: Penta's new gear upon becoming Penta Oscuro is clearly modeled off of ComicBook/TheJoker from ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy''. |
| 18 | * SiblingYinYang: Penta tends to be the {{Heel}} while Fenix leans more towards {{Face}}. Either way, they're still united as a team. |
| 19 | * ToxicFriendInfluence: Right before PAC's shocking return on the ''Dynamite'' following ''AEW Full Gear 2020'' derailed his attmept, Eddie Kingston was clearly trying to throw in his lot with Pentagon during and following Penta's climactic match with his brother Fenix, Kingston literally kicking Fenix to the curb as he tried to butter up Pentagon into splitting from Rey and aligning solely with Eddie himself. |
| 20 | * WritingAroundTrademarks: Because AAA owns the rights to the name Pentagon Jr., he's known as Penta el Cero Miedo when performing in AEW. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | !!!Private Party (Isiah Kassidy/"Brother Zay" and Marq Quen) |
| 23 | A hard-partying, hard-fighting duo who were personally chosen by The Young Bucks to show their stuff in AEW. They have quickly dazzled audiences with their fun antics and even more fun matches, which threaten to steal the show nearly every night they're booked. |
| 24 | ---- |
| 25 | * AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Could be considered one to the Street Profits from Wrestling/{{WWE}}. |
| 26 | * TheCastShowOff: The tag team division's version of this. While they do a lot of the same things the other tag teams do, one thing they have better than seemingly anyone else is their fluid chemistry and psychology, which gets people into their matches a lot faster than other tag teams. |
| 27 | * ColorCodedForYourConvenience: They sport a predominantly pink or red color scheme. |
| 28 | * EvilCostumeSwitch: As {{Heel}}s, they've ditched their brightly colored gear for a more bouncer-like look. |
| 29 | * FaceHeelTurn: When they aligned themselves with the villainous "Big Money" Matt Hardy and he taught them the benefits of cheating to win. |
| 30 | * FinishingMove: "Gin and Juice" (Top-rope Frankensteiner/Cutter combo). |
| 31 | * GoneHorriblyRight: The Bucks picked Private Party to be in AEW personally because they saw tons of potential in them, and they were right...especially after The Bucks got eliminated by Private Party in the first AEW Tag Team Tournament, effectively kicking them to the back of the line for the belts. |
| 32 | * TheHedonist: A pair of hard-drinking party lads. |
| 33 | * LightningBruiser: Isiah and Marq are ''fast''. In a tag team division that has The Young Bucks and Hybrid 2 in it? That's no small feat. |
| 34 | * PartsUnknown: The two are officially billed from "a location where you need an invitation" and weighing "24 ounces of vodka cranberry" (or "cranberry vodka"; the order varies). |
| 35 | |
| 36 | !!! Alex Reynolds and John Silver |
| 37 | An indie tag team formerly known as the Beaver Boys that was quickly absorbed into the ranks of Wrestling/TheDarkOrder. |
| 38 | ---- |
| 39 | * ButtMonkey: Are often the targets of Brodie Lee's rage. Silver often gets the brunt of the abuse. |
| 40 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Inverted. The two are a force to be reckoned with in the ring, but are incompetent nitwits when it comes to recruiting new members for the Dark Order. |
| 41 | * PintSizePowerHouse: Silver is shorter and significantly strong. |
| 42 | * ThoseTwoGuys: Were basically the other two Dark Order members who weren't Evil Uno or Stu Grayson before Brodie Lee started pushing for more recruits. |
| 43 | * WeakButSkilled: As once discussed by JR and Tony Schiavone, Silver and Reynolds lack hard-hitting offense, including a proper finisher, but they are one of the best AEW teams when it comes to stringing together moves and possess a flawless synergy as partners. |
| 44 | |
| 45 | !!!The Butcher and The Blade (with The Bunny) |
| 46 | A menacing duo of hosses who showed up quite suddenly to cause mayhem on their own. They are "led" by The Bunny, Allie. The Butcher is Andy Williams, the lead guitarist for rock band Every Time I Die. The Blade is the wrestler formerly known as Braxton Sutter and Pepper Parks (and the real life husband of the Bunny). |
| 47 | ---- |
| 48 | * BadassLongcoat: They both wear long leather coats on their way to the ring. |
| 49 | * TheBrute: An absolutely ruthless pair of them. |
| 50 | * TheComicallySerious: While The Blade doesn't speak, he leaves the talking to The Bunny. The Butcher, when given the chance, has a sarcastic wit about himself. |
| 51 | * HiddenDepths: Although violent lower-midcarders in AEW, they both have impressive credentials outside the ring. The Butcher has his music career of course, while The Blade is the head trainer at the Buffalo, New York wrestling school Grapplers Anonymous, one of the most renowned schools in the region and one that counts rising star Daniel Garcia among its alumni, a fact that was alluded to during his match with CM Punk. |
| 52 | * HighClassGlass: The Butcher wears a monocle when outside the ring, giving him a Victorian gentleman-esque aura. {{Subverted}} in that he's anything ''but'' classy in the ring. |
| 53 | * MalevolentMaskedMen: The Blade walks to the ring with a gimp mask on, and Allie wears a domino mask with rabbit ears. |
| 54 | * PsychoForHire: It quickly became apparent they maul people for the highest bidder, having worked under MJF, Eddie Kingston, Matt Hardy and Andrade el Idolo whenever it's convenient. |
| 55 | * ShoutOut: [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKuOPetWsAERVMX.jpg:large Blade's mask]] is clearly patterned after the mask of the sadistic serial killer [[https://cdn.costumewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dr-decker.jpg Doctor Decker]] from Film/{{Nightbreed}}. In his indie days, it was a literal [[https://lastwordonprowrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2018-12-17-at-1.13.10-AM-e1545027266859.png replica]]. |
| 56 | * WrestlingDoesntPay: One of the segments shows they actually do seem to run a butchery, although the implication is there that it's not [[TheSecretOfLongPorkPies cattle they're using]]. The Butcher has hinted on Twitter (in character) to both [[https://twitter.com/andycomplains/status/1337074459010850817 Lance Archer]] and [[https://twitter.com/andycomplains/status/1337074913933488128 a fan]] that it might be the case. |
| 57 | |
| 58 | !!![[Wrestling/TheRevival FTR]] (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) |
| 59 | |
| 60 | "Formerly The Revival", FTR made their long awaited debut in AEW during May 2020. |
| 61 | ---- |
| 62 | * BaitTheDog: They entered the company as, surprisingly, {{Face}}s, looking like their rivalry against The Young Bucks was going to be a friendly and professional one, even allying with them for a bit. A few weeks later, they pulled a FaceHeelTurn by assaulting Wrestling/TheRockNRollExpress on "Tag-Team Appreciation Night", piledriving the [[TropeNamer original]] RickyMorton, and aligning with Tully Blanchard in what looked like was the start of a new iteration of Wrestling/TheFourHorsemen. |
| 63 | ** They also pretended to be friends to the increasingly-isolated and insecure "Hangman" Adam Page, presenting as a couple of good ol' southern boys who enjoy a cool beer just like him, until it turned out that FTR were just playing with his head, undermining his confidence and taking advantage of his insecurities to trick him into screwing The Young Bucks during a gauntlet match to determine the #1 contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championships, then ruthlessly beating him and Kenny Omega for the belts. |
| 64 | * FinishingMove: "The Mindbreaker" (Double-team spike piledriver) and "Goodnight Express" (Flapjack/Double-Knee Facebreaker combo), but in honor of [[Wrestling/LukeHarper Brodie Lee]], they renamed the latter "The Big Rig" after Brodie's trucker gimmick from the independent scene. However, when ''Collision'' began, Big Rig would be renamed into their old "Shatter Machine" from WWE. |
| 65 | * GoodOldFisticuffs: They rely on simple, hard-hitting techniques that contrasts sharply with the high-flying skills of several of their tag team peers. |
| 66 | * RedBaron: The "Top Guys" of tag team wrestling and "Seven Star" FTR (a reference to the NXT, RAW, [=SmackDown=], AEW, AAA, Ring of Honor and IWGP Tag Team Championships, all of which they have held) |
| 67 | * TheRival: To Wrestling/TheYoungBucks. |
| 68 | |
| 69 | !!!The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn; formerly Wrestling/BillyGunn) |
| 70 | ---- |
| 71 | * AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Since their FaceHeelTurn, Billy has made his entrances while wearing a shirt that has "Sons of Gunn" crossed out and "Ass Boys" written underneath. His sons are always annoyed when they see it. |
| 72 | * EmbarrassingNickname: Ever since Danhausen nicknamed Austin and Colten "The Ass Boys", it's caught on with the crowd, including the AEW roster. {{Subverted}} with Billy since he loves the nickname for his sons. |
| 73 | * FinishingMove: "Fame-ass-er" (leg drop bulldog) for Billy, while "[[Film/ThreeTenToYuma1957 3:10 to Yuma]]" is a double-team finisher (a back body drop into a neckbreaker) |
| 74 | * TheRival: To The Acclaimed for having embarrassed them repeatedly; however, the feud would really go into overdrive when Billy became TheMentor to The Acclaimed. |
| 75 | * RingOldies: Billy Gunn is ''the'' oldest frequently-active (albeit not full time) wrestler in AEW at ''57'' years old (half a decade older than Dustin Rhodes), but is still a formidable force in the ring. |
| 76 | * SignatureMove: "Colt 45" (butterfly neckbreaker) for Colten |
| 77 | * WrestlingFamily: [[ParentChildTeam A father-son duo originally]], expanding to father and his sons since Colten has joined them. |
| 78 | |
| 79 | !!!Top Flight (Darius and Dante Martin) |
| 80 | ---- |
| 81 | * TheBabyOfTheBunch: Before Nick Wayne signed into the promotion, the two were the youngest wrestlers in AEW by late-2020 - Darius at 21 and Dante at 19. |
| 82 | * BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Dante struck out as a singles star in mid-2021 when Darius was shelved with an injury, eventually throwing out an open challenge to the locker room. ''Immediately'' after he finished speaking, the ring was plunged into darkness, and when the lights came up again, [[Wrestling/AleisterBlack Malakai Black]] was standing behind him, ready to spray The Black Mist onto his face and knock him out with a Black Mass before formally accepting his challenge. |
| 83 | -->'''Malakai Black''': "The House of Black... accepts". |
| 84 | * TheBusCameBack: Top Flight reunited in 2022 for the tag team casino royale leading up to ''AEW Revolution 2022'', with Darius returning from injury. |
| 85 | * FakeDefector: When Dante started working with Lio Rush while his brother was out of action in 2021, Team Taz approached him with a recruitment offer, which Dante shockingly accepted to Lio's bewilderment. However, after only a very short time with the group, Dante turned on them during the Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale match on the December 8th episode of ''Dynamite'', eliminating Ricky Starks rather than MJF at the end, revealing that both he and Lio had been playing them. |
| 86 | * PutOnABus: Darius was out of action with an injury throughout much of mid-to-late 2021. Dante was given a solo run during his absence, which turned him into a BreakoutCharacter among AEW's young talents. Unfortunately, Darius was injured again just after reuniting Top Flight in 2022. By April 2023, it would be Dante who is injured during that year's ''Supercard of Honor''. |
| 87 | * RedBaron: "The Human Highlight Reel" for Dante, as coined by Paul Wight. |
| 88 | * WrestlingFamily: A RealLife pair of wrestling brothers. |
| 89 | |
| 90 | !!!Wrestling/TheAcclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) - (With Billy Gunn) |
| 91 | ---- |
| 92 | * CallBack: After winning the first Dumpster Match in AEW against Austin and Colten Gunn, The Acclaimed pushed the dumpster containing the latter two off the stage, just like Wrestling/TheNewAgeOutlaws did to [[Wrestling/TerryFunk Chainsaw Charlie]] and [[Wrestling/MickFoley Cactus Jack]] after they won their Dumpster Match on the February 2, 1998 episode of ''Wrestling/{{WWE RAW}}''. |
| 93 | * CatchPhrase: Max will always start off his entrance raps with "Yo! Listen!"; after Caster's rap, Bowens will always say, "AEW/(Name of city)! The Acclaimed have arrived!". When Billy Gunn joined as their support, Anthony would end the intro with "Scissor me, Daddy-Ass!". Finally, most of their promos (as well as Caster's rap) will often end with "Everybody/Everyone ''loves'' The Acclaimed!" |
| 94 | * EstablishingCharacterMoment: Their first promo on ''Dynamite'' saw them cutting a freestyle against The Young Bucks, mocking the cover of their book, ''Killing The Business'' ("I'm just saying that it's strange, y'all two are brothers looking at each others thangs!"). Their first ''Dynamite'' match set them up against [=SoCal=] Uncensored, where they scored a big upset win and earned a title shot. |
| 95 | * FinishingMove: "Mic Drop" (elbow drop from the top turnbuckle) for Max, "The Arrival" for Anthony |
| 96 | * GayBestFriend: {{Inverted}}; Anthony Bowens plays the StraightMan to Max Caster's flamboyant antics, but it's Bowens who's openly gay. |
| 97 | * GratuitousRap: Caster usually enters the ring performing a freestyle diss against his opponents. |
| 98 | * LargeHam: Both of them - Caster for his raps and Bowens for his acting alongside the raps and yelling into the microphone while in the ring. |
| 99 | %%* PinkIsForSissies: Most often their ring gear is pink. This may be factored due to Anthony Bowens being openly gay but could also be heel heat.%% |
| 100 | * PutOnABus: Caster was temporarily pulled from matches due to a controversial rap on ''Dark''. Fortunately, he returned after several weeks. |
| 101 | * RedBaron: Bowens as "The 5 Tool Player", while Caster is also often addressed as "Platinum" Max Caster. |
| 102 | * RedOniBlueOni: Bowens is the hyped up, loud red oni compared to Caster's laid back and snarky blue oni. |
| 103 | * ThinkOfTheCensors: Their first entrance back after Caster's absence had them reading a blatantly clean and corporate script, with Bowens lampshading how terrible the script is and Caster immediately ripping it up before returning to his freestyle diss tracks. |
| 104 | |
| 105 | !!!Chaos Project (Luther and Serpentico) |
| 106 | ---- |
| 107 | * BewareTheSillyOnes: Despite the gimmick of Luther using Serpentico as a weapon being played for laughs, Chaos Project are no push overs. |
| 108 | * BigGuyLittleGuy: Luther's the big guy, Serpentico's the little guy. |
| 109 | * EvilIsPetty: Claim to not like children and decide to crash Brodie Jr.'s birthday party because he insulted Luther's third eye. |
| 110 | * FinishingMove: "Creeping Death" (Spinebuster/Double-Knee Drop combo) |
| 111 | * GrievousHarmWithABody: Most of their offensive strategy consists of Luther picking up Serpentico and hitting their opponents with him, much to Serpentico's chagrin. |
| 112 | ** Though funny enough when Serpentico was teaming with The Hybrid Two against The Dark Order on AEW Dark Serpentico actually waited for Luther to throw him on Alan Angels but since Luther wasn't in that match Serpentico threw himself on Alan. He has also dragged himself by his own mask in entrances when by himself and has continued using himself to assault foes whenever Luther’s not around. |
| 113 | * InformedAbility: Serpentico is often cited as one of the toughest guys in the business, able to endure assault from his opponents and his tag team partner. Despite this, though, it hasn’t done much to help them wins matches and more often than not is the one pinned by their opponents. |
| 114 | * IronButtMonkey: Serpentico is often used as a weapon by Luther against his will, and the commentators usually joke that Serpentico takes more damage than their opponents do, but somehow he always gets back up and the punishment Luther inflicts on him has yet to actually cost them a match. |
| 115 | * MaskedLuchador: Serpentico, who wears a mask that covers everything but his eyes. |
| 116 | * SnakesAreSinister: We repeat: ''Serpentico.'' |
| 117 | |
| 118 | !!! Iron Savages; formerly Bear Country (Bronson and Boulder; formerly Bear Bronson and Bear Boulder) |
| 119 | ---- |
| 120 | * AnimalMotifs: Bears when they were previous Bear Country. |
| 121 | %%* BearsAreBadNews: That is their whole thing. |
| 122 | %%* TheBrute: A pair of them that definitely fit this trope. |
| 123 | * StoutStrength: As their name implies, both men are heavy set powerhouses. |
| 124 | |
| 125 | !!! The Sydal Bros (Matt and Mike Sydal) |
| 126 | ---- |
| 127 | * WrestlingFamily: They are RealLife brothers. |
| 128 | |
| 129 | !!! [[Wrestling/ThreePoint0 2.0]] ("Daddy Magic" Matt Menard and "Cool Hand Ang" Angelo Parker) |
| 130 | ---- |
| 131 | * BullyingADragon: Along with Daniel Garcia, their first major feud involved actively antagonizing Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, Sting and Darby Allin with cheapshots outside of the ring. It ended just as well as one would've expected. |
| 132 | * BumblingHenchmenDuo: Already a comedic pair of {{Heel}}s, this dynamic is more pronounced when they team with Daniel Garcia as their straight man. {{Subverted}} after joining The Jericho Appreciation Society as Matt and Angelo prove to be deadly enforcers to Chris Jericho. |
| 133 | %%* CatchPhrase: "I DON'T THINK SO!!" from Matt |
| 134 | * LargeHam: Upon joining The Jericho Appreciation Society, Matt and Angelo really started to let loose their verbal rhetoric, often coupling it with SuddenlyShouting. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsIwKOafWG8 Emphasized in their promo]] after their win at ''AEW Revolution 2022'' in the Anarchy in the Arena match. |
| 135 | * PowerStable: The Jericho Appreciation Society. |
| 136 | |
| 137 | !!! The Kings of the Black Throne ([[Wrestling/AleisterBlack Malakai Black]] and Brody King) |
| 138 | ---- |
| 139 | * {{Catchphrase}}: "Just like death... we are inevitable". |
| 140 | * DarkIsNotEvil: While their visage may be brooding and menacing, Black says that they're far from truly evil. |
| 141 | * FinishingMove: "Dante's Inferno" (Suplex toss by Black towards King for a powerslam or piledriver) |
| 142 | |
| 143 | !!! The Varsity Atheletes (Tony Nese and Josh Woods) |
| 144 | ---- |
| 145 | |
| 146 | !!! Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) - '''ROH WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION''' (Fletcher) |
| 147 | ---- |
| 148 | * AwesomeAussie: As their team name suggests, they are a talented wrestling duo hailing from Australia. |
| 149 | * CharacterCatchphrase: Doubling with AudienceParticipation, whenever they say, "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!", the crowd will follow it up with, "Oi! Oi! Oi!" |
| 150 | * FinishingMove: "Coriolis"[=/=]"[[InconsistentSpelling Corealis]]" (double-elevated pumphandle half-nelson lift dropped into a sided Death Valley driver) |
| 151 | |
| 152 | !!! The Kingdom (Wrestling/MattTaven and Wrestling/MikeBennett, with Wrestling/MariaKanellis) - '''ROH WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS''' |
| 153 | Previously part of the Wrestling/ImpactWrestling faction called "Honor No More", and established in 2014 for Ring of Honor, The Kingdom made their AEW debut on ''Rampage'' in October 2022 to challenge FTR for their tag team championships. Since then, they alternate between AEW and the new ROH, which is currently co-owned by Tony Khan. |
| 154 | ---- |
| 155 | * BigOMG: When Wrestling/RoderickStrong [[UnexplainedRecovery was able to stand up from his wheelchair]] due to an on-going "neck injury" during a fiery December 2023 promo on ''Dynamite'', Matt and Mike reacted appropriately and made this exclamation. |
| 156 | * ContinuityNod: Mike and Matt reminded Roderick about Adam Cole's degree of loyalty when Strong questioned Cole's friendship with him due to the latter's budding partnership with MJF in mid-2023. This is a reference to The Kingdom's slow collapse and first breakup in Ring of Honor. On the ''Dynamite'' following ''AEW All In 2023'', Mike and Matt accused Adam of using The Kingdom as "stepping stones" back then to become Ring of Honor World Champion. |
| 157 | * DefiantToTheEnd: In the climax to his Texas Deathmatch against Orange Cassidy, Matt Taven tore off the latter's jean pockets after taking a Beach Break on a pile of steel chairs and thumbtacks, goading Cassidy into hitting him again, who acquiesced with a chain-wrapped Orange Punch for good measure. |
| 158 | * RunningGag: After Roderick Strong began competing in the 2023 Grand Slam World Championship Eliminator Tournament, Matt and Mike started exaggerating his injury, playing up "neck awareness/health", even coming up with the new slogan "Neck Strong". |
| 159 | [[/folder]] |
| 160 | |
| 161 | [[folder:Factions]] |
| 162 | !!! Wrestling/TheElite (The Young Bucks, Adam Page, Brandon Cutler, Michael Nakazawa, Wrestling/KazuchikaOkada, Jack Perry; formerly Wrestling/AdamCole, Wrestling/KyleOReilly, Wrestling/BobbyFish, Wrestling/DonCallis, Wrestling/KennyOmega) |
| 163 | The splinter faction from the Wrestling/BulletClub that founded AEW, they are the headlining group of this wrestling promotion. When Adam Cole arrived at the end of ''AEW All Out 2021'', he and The Young Bucks reformed their old "[=SuperKliq=]" group from Wrestling/RingOfHonor, while Adam's old compatriots from Wrestling/TheUndisputedEra would join before the end of the year. Due to Kenny Omega's absence because of injuries, Cole repurposed the group as "The Undisputed Elite" in 2022 until he, Fish and O'Reilly turned on The Young Bucks during the beginning of August. It wouldn't be until 2023 that its core members (Omega, The Bucks, Page) would reunite in order to feud with The Blackpool Combat Club. |
| 164 | |
| 165 | Following ''AEW Revolution 2024'', having taken their roles as executive vice-presidents of the promotion seriously, The Young Bucks had no choice but to indefinitely "suspend" Page for putting his hands on officials at the pay-per-view and had Omega kicked out of The Elite due to his no-show appearances. Instead, The Bucks introduced their newest member: "The Rainmaker", Kazuchika Okada. After the inaugural ''AEW Dynasty'', Jack Perry returned to AEW since his last on-screen appearance at ''All In 2023'' and aligned with The Elite. |
| 166 | ---- |
| 167 | * HonoraryTrueCompanion: The Good Brothers (Wrestling/KarlAnderson and [[Wrestling/DrewHankinson Doc Gallows]]) are this since they're technically Wrestling/ImpactWrestling talent that helped out Kenny Omega, thus not officially on the AEW roster. |
| 168 | |
| 169 | !!! [[Wrestling/DarkOrder The Dark Order]] (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, John Silver, Colt Cabana, "–1" Mr. Brodie Lee Jr. (non-wrestling member); formerly Alan Angels, Anna Jay, Preston Vance, Stu Grayson) |
| 170 | Originally Wrestling/TheSuperSmashBrothers with a retooled gimmick, The Dark Order initially struggled with their presence, but after a period of recruiting talent and well-received antics on Be The Elite, they have since become one of AEW's top stables. |
| 171 | ---- |
| 172 | * HeelFaceTurn: Started off as {{Heel}}s, but turned {{Face}} after Brodie Lee's passing. |
| 173 | * ThoseTwoGuys: Alex Reynolds and John Silver are this within The Dark Order. |
| 174 | * VillainDecay: Were initially presented as a terrifying cult that were monsters in the ring. However, as their more comedic antics became popular they shifted into this even before their HeelFaceTurn. |
| 175 | |
| 176 | !!! Hardy Family Office / Andrade-Hardy Family Office / Andrade Family Office / La Facción Ingobernable (Rush, Preston Vance, Dralistico; formerly Matt Hardy, Private Party, The Butcher and the Blade, The Bunny, Jora Johl, Andrade El Ídolo, Jose the Assistant) |
| 177 | When Matt Hardy leaned into his "Big Money Matt" persona, he elected to take Private Party under his win for a cut of their paycheck. Ever since then, Matt Hardy kept gathering other wrestlers into his own stable for fun and profit until he [[{{Kayfabe}} sold a majority interest]] in the faction to Andrade El Ídolo. However, after a string of losses, Matt was violently voted out of the group after ''AEW Revolution 2022'', re-joining his brother Jeff Hardy as a tag team.\ |
| 178 | \ |
| 179 | Due to the group's lack of success, Andrade declared its closure and joined AEW newcomer Rush's ''La Facción Ingobernable'' from Wrestling/{{AAA}} at ''Double Or Nothing 2022''. |
| 180 | ---- |
| 181 | |
| 182 | !!! The Wingmen (Peter Avalon, Cezar Bononi, JD Drake; formerly Ryan Nemeth) |
| 183 | ---- |
| 184 | * BeardOfEvil: JD Drake has this. |
| 185 | * GoldfishPoopGang: This faction consists mainly of egotistical goofballs that rarely win their matches against the mid- to upper-card. |
| 186 | * RedBaron: "Hollywood Hunk" for Ryan Nemeth |
| 187 | * WrestlingFamily: Ryan Nemeth is the brother of Wrestling/DolphZiggler. |
| 188 | |
| 189 | !!! Best Friends (Wrestling/ChuckTaylor, Wrestling/OrangeCassidy, Kris Statlander, Wrestling/{{Danhausen}}, Sue Marasciulo; formerly Trent Beretta) |
| 190 | The lovable misfits of AEW. Originally a simple two-man tag team formed by Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta, The Best Friends became a full-blown faction when Orange Cassidy joined the group shortly after he saved Chuck and Trent from The Dark Order, and Kris Statlander subsequently joined after helping Chuck and Cassidy [[DesignatedGirlFight take on Penelope Ford]] in the "Arcade Anarchy" three-on-three match. Cassidy's protege Wheeler Yuta and the popular indy star Wrestling/{{Danhausen}} became close confidants, while Trent's elderly mother Sue (who's made several memorable cameos) is considered an honorary member. However, Yuta would join The Blackpool Combat Club in April 2022 following a third match against Wrestling/JonMoxley.\ |
| 191 | \ |
| 192 | In 2021, all of The Best Friends were inducted into the famous Wrestling/{{CHAOS}} faction in Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling thanks to Chuck and Trent's previous association with them, and they now serve as the group's representatives in AEW. |
| 193 | \ |
| 194 | By April 2024, tensions between Cassidy and Trent reached a boiling point, leading to the latter leaving the faction violently by attacking Cassidy. With Chuck out-of-commission following a Parking Lot Brawl with Beretta, The Best Friends' future is left in question. |
| 195 | ---- |
| 196 | * BerserkButton: Mistreating or threatening Trent's mother Sue. Trashing her van (when she wasn't really involved in the feud whatsoever) made their rivalry with Proud & Powerful personal. Miro trying to get to her while was inside her van during the Arcade Anarchy caused Trent to go ballistic on him. |
| 197 | * CoordinatedClothes: Chuck and Trent began wearing rainbow-colored gym wear in July 2022 with Orange occasionally having a rainbow-colored vest to match. |
| 198 | * FinishingMove: As a tag team, "Strong Zero" (Belly-to-back piledrive/Diving double stomp combo). |
| 199 | ** For Trent, "Crunchie" (Belly-to-back piledriver) |
| 200 | ** For Chuckie T, "Awful Waffle" (Lifting leg hook belly-to-back suplex into a piledriver) |
| 201 | * {{Foil}}: The group has some rather striking parallels with Wrestling/LosIngobernablesDeJapon of Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, another [[TrueCompanions exceptionally close-knit group]] of [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits quirky weirdos]] who are frequently portrayed as the lovable underdogs of their promotion. Like L.I.J., they often indulge in colorful and eccentric pageantry, and their most famous member is [[Wrestling/TetsuyaNaito a wrestler]] known for his [[TheSlacker apathetic and laid-back personality]]. The chief difference is that L.I.J. are {{Anti Hero}}ic {{Heel}}s who frequently antagonize the fans and resort to underhanded tactics, while The Best Friends are conventionally heroic {{Face}}s portrayed as some of the most genuinely good-natured wrestlers on their promotion's roster. |
| 202 | * GroupHug: Have a tendency to do this in-ring, usually in the middle of a match after doing a hot spot or after winning a match. You got to give the people what they want! |
| 203 | * MommasBoy: Trent's mom has driven them to the ring on several occasions, calls him by his real name, and also bakes cookies for the crew backstage. |
| 204 | * PhraseCatcher: Whenever the group gets into a group hug, Excalibur yells out " You got to give the people what they want!", which is followed by the camera zooming out on them. |
| 205 | * PreciousPuppy: Their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsCnxkoWIo8 intro]] includes these, along with LittleGreenMen and ghosts for no particular reason beyond AwesomeDearBoy. |
| 206 | ** Becomes HilariousInHindsight now that [[HumanAlien Kris Statlander]] is a part of the team. |
| 207 | * RagtagBunchOfMisfits: A [[TheSlacker slacker]], a [[MamasBoy mama's boy]], a dork, a girl who thinks she's an alien, and a demonic goofball who collects jars of teeth. Yeah, they qualify. |
| 208 | * RedBaron: "The Kentucky Gentleman" for Chuck Taylor |
| 209 | * ShoutOut: When Trent came out to help Cassidy in his Texas Deathmatch against Matt Taven on the 2024 Valentine's Day episode of ''Dynamite'', he was carrying a box of roses which hid a lead pipe, which [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay the T-800 also did, but with a shotgun, when confronting the T-1000 for the first time]]. |
| 210 | * SignatureTeamTransport: Sue's minivan. |
| 211 | * SixthRanger: They started as a tag team duo, but have since incorporated Orange Cassidy into their ranks. |
| 212 | ** We now have Trent's mom as an unofficial member of the group. |
| 213 | ** Kris Statlander joined them on her return from injury, helping them win the Arcade Anarchy match against Kib Sabian and Miro, with Cassidy tweeting afterward that [[https://twitter.com/orangecassidy/status/1377458331170828289 "The alien sits with us now."]] |
| 214 | *** Statlander’s place in the group was further cemented on the next ''Dynamite'' when the three men declared “The boys are back” and placed their hands one on top of the other, with Statlander looking on as if she wanted to join in, then they added “We’ve got an alien too with us now” as she finally joined them. |
| 215 | ** Wheeler Yuta, a student of Trent and Chuck, had aligned himself with the group and was often accompanied by them during his matches. {{Averted}} after Yuta joined The Blackpool Combat Club. |
| 216 | ** Given Danhausen's history with Orange, he began occasionally appearing in their matches, often helping them by the sideline via this "curses". |
| 217 | |
| 218 | !!! Death Triangle (Penta el Cero Miedo, Rey Fenix, PAC, Alex Abrahantes) |
| 219 | The trio alliance between The Lucha Bros. and PAC. |
| 220 | ---- |
| 221 | * {{Dirty Coward}}s: Ever since PAC began using hammers to stay as the then-AEW All-Atlantic Champion, he started goading The Lucha Bros. to use it as well for their trios title defenses. Although initially apprehensive about it, Penta and Rey began to use them when retaining the championship. |
| 222 | * GuestFighter: Due to Rey getting sidelined by injury in late-2021, upon challenging The House of Black to a trios match at ''AEW Revolution 2022'', they brought out a familiar face who hasn't been seen since the ''Brodie Lee Celebration of Life'' - [[Wrestling/ErickRowan Erick Redbeard]]. |
| 223 | * TheRival: The Elite, to the degree that their challenge for the AEW World Trios Championship were settled in a best-of-seven series. |
| 224 | |
| 225 | !!![[Wrestling/HouseOfBlack The House of Black]] (Malakai Black, Brodie King, Buddy Matthews, Julia Hart) |
| 226 | |
| 227 | -> ''Members of The House of Black: please rise''. |
| 228 | |
| 229 | The disciples of Malakai Black, the faction was teased following Brodie King's arrival into AEW, with Buddy Matthews' appearance cementing the stable's existence. The House's true intentions, however, remain a mystery. |
| 230 | ---- |
| 231 | * CatchPhrase: "The House always wins." |
| 232 | * CoordinatedClothes: All members are fully decked out in black, be it formal wear or their wrestling gear. |
| 233 | %%* {{Cult}} |
| 234 | %%* DarkIsEvil |
| 235 | * ThisMeansWarpaint: Often, the male members will be decked out in face paint when they appear or are scheduled for a match. |
| 236 | * WildCard: Regardless of what the faction's goals are, they will attack and feud against anyone in AEW. Exemplified during their return on ''Dynamite'' in November 2022 when they assaulted The Best Friends and The Factory alike. |
| 237 | |
| 238 | !!![[Wrestling/BlackpoolCombatClub The Blackpool Combat Club]] (Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Claudio Castagnoli; formerly William Regal) |
| 239 | Formed following ''AEW Revolution 2022'', this faction prides itself on professional wrestling while delivering "violence" the likes of which no other group in AEW has ever done. |
| 240 | ---- |
| 241 | * CallBack: Prior to the stable's formation, Jon Moxley stated to Bryan Danielson that he won't "stand side-by-side with nobody 'til I bleed with them first". Wheeler Yuta's induction into the Combat Club had him bleed profusely in his third match during 2022 against Moxley, ultimately convincing William Regal to allow Yuta into the Club. |
| 242 | * {{Honorary True Companion}}s: Jon Moxley's old tag-team partner Eddie Kingston frequently allies with the BCC, along with his friends Santana and Ortiz. It helps that the three of them [[EnemyMine hate the Jericho Appreciation Society]] just as much as the BCC do (Santana and Ortiz were formerly Jericho's stablemates until he turned on them, and Kingston has had a heated rivalry with Jericho ever since they faced each other at ''AEW Revolution 2022''). |
| 243 | * NamedAfterSomeoneFamous: Blackpool, England is where Regal hails from. |
| 244 | * NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The faction's M.O. during a tag team/trios match - each one of them will hold one of their opponents in an abdominal stretch and deliver hammer-and-anvil elbow strikes to their heads simultaneously (Danielson, however, holds his target's wrists and stomps on their head). |
| 245 | * ShoutOut: In their tag tag match against FTR at ''AEW Revolution 2024'', Moxley and Castagnoli entered the ring [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors wearing upper torso armor with spikes]]. |
| 246 | * WorthyOpponent: If a wrestler can prove themselves by fighting its members in the ring to such a notable degree, they'll not only earn the Club's respect, but they might even earn a spot on their roster. |
| 247 | |
| 248 | !!!The Beast of Burdens (Nyla Rose, Marina Shafir; formerly Vickie Guerrero) |
| 249 | ---- |
| 250 | |
| 251 | !!!The Outcasts (Saraya, Harley Cameron, Zak Knight; formerly Toni Storm, Ruby Soho) |
| 252 | The third all-female faction in AEW. Formed in January 2023, The Outcasts are made up of former WWE wrestlers who were originally {{Face}}s, but ended up making a FaceHeelTurn due to feeling disrespected by the fans and AEW itself. |
| 253 | ---- |
| 254 | * BirdsOfAFeather: Its current members are former WWE wrestlers and veterans in the wrestling industry who left to join AEW in hopes of greener pastures, but discovered they are just as resented by the locker room in the current promotion. |
| 255 | * BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: It's not present on their ring gear, but they love spray painting their opponents with a large "L" for "loser" on either their backs or their front torsos. |
| 256 | * ColorMotifs: Bright green - it's present in their ring attire, their entrance graphics, and spray paint they use on their enemies. |
| 257 | * DudeWheresMyRespect: Like The Firm, The Outcasts were formed because they believed they weren't appreciated enough by the rest of the women's division in AEW and the audience, with a specific grudge held against the homegrown talent in the division - the "Originals". |
| 258 | * LaserGuidedKarma: Two weeks after they hid underneath the ring to ambush Wrestling/BrittBaker and brutally beat her with a kendo stick, Wrestling/HikaruShida tricks them into thinking she's joining the faction while Jamie Hayter and Britt Baker, who were hiding underneath the ring, ambush the three of them, Shida later joining in to similarly beat them with a kendo stick. For good measure, Shida even spray paints all of them as they're reeling in pain from the ambush like The Outcasts have done to many other wrestlers in the women's division, albeit painting the letters "AEW" as opposed to the "L" The Outcasts use. |
| 259 | * MultinationalTeam: The group features Saraya (English), Ruby Soho (American), and Harley Cameron (Australian). Before Harley joined, the group also had the Australian Toni Storm. |
| 260 | * VillainousFriendship: The Outcasts are all selfish, vindictive bullies, but during the first few months of their formation, the three genuinely cared for each other, celebrating together when a member wins, and comforting each other over their losses. Subverted more or less after Toni left the faction, Saraya treating Ruby more as a lackey than a friend. |
| 261 | |
| 262 | !!!The Bang Bang Gang ([[Wrestling/JayWhite Jay White]], Juice Robinson, The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn)) - '''AEW UNIFIED WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONS''' (Jay White and The Gunns) |
| 263 | A seemingly renegade, off-shoot faction of Wrestling/BulletClub, due to his prior "Loser Leaves Japan" and "Loser Leaves NJPW" stipulations, as well as his violent ousting from the faction proper by David Finlay months earlier, Jay White formed this group with fellow Bullet Club member Juice Robinson in April 2023 as "Bullet Club Gold". On the second episode of ''Collision'', Austin and Colten Gunn are welcomed into group after defeating CM Punk, FTR and Ricky Starks in an eight-man tag match. |
| 264 | ---- |
| 265 | * CharacterCatchPhrase: They regularly end their promos by saying "Guns up!" |
| 266 | * CompanionCube: On the July 29th 2023 episode of ''Collision'', Juice brought in a cardboard cutout of Jay White to the arena due to Jay being absent for that episode. The following episode however, even when Jay returned, Juice continued to bring around the cardboard cutout and named it "Cardblade", with the faction treating it as if it's a fully fledged member of Bullet Club Gold. On December 17th 2023 however, Jay and The Gunns promptly kicked Cardblade out the faction due to being absent for several of their recent matches, replacing it with a cardboard cutout of Juice Robinson that they named "Juiceboard". |
| 267 | * LaughablyEvil: While underhanded and needlessly cruel, the faction regularly partakes in goofy antics, from treating a cardboard cutout of Jay White as if it's a real person, to riding tricycles to the ring as they accompany Jay White. |
| 268 | * RedBaron: A rare example for a faction, Jay informally called the group the "The Bang Bang Gang"; however, the faction would officially adopt it as their name going forward sometime after 2024. |
| 269 | * RedOniBlueOni: Juice Robinson is the loud, hyperactive Red Oni to Jay White's snarky, methodical Blue Oni. |
| 270 | |
| 271 | !!!The Don Callis Family (Wrestling/DonCallis, Konosuke Takeshita, Powerhouse Hobbs, Wrestling/WillOspreay, Kyle Fletcher; formerly Wrestling/SammyGuevara) |
| 272 | As a result of his betrayal of Kenny Omega on the May 10, 2023 episode of ''Dynamite'', Don Callis began recruiting young wrestlers who he believes not only has a future in professional wrestling, but can also help him destroy Omega's legacy. |
| 273 | ---- |
| 274 | * CommutingOnABus: Ospreay is a confirmed member of the faction, but was only able to appear sparingly due to still being under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling. {{Averted}} after ''Revolution 2024'' where he finally became a full-time member of the AEW roster. |
| 275 | * LastSupperSteal: Their entrance video features a play on ''Art/TheLastSupper'', with Don as a stand-in for Jesus Christ, while Konosuke, Sammy, Hobbs and Ospreay are his "disciples". Each time a new member is added, their face is superimposed onto one of the disciples. |
| 276 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: Sammy might have betrayed Chris Jericho to join Callis in September, but his time in the group didn't last long at a little over three months just before the inaugural ''AEW Worlds End'' no thanks to Don insulting Guevara about his newborn and choosing his wife and daughter over the faction. |
| 277 | |
| 278 | !!!The Righteous (Vincent, Dutch; formerly Stu Grayson) |
| 279 | ---- |
| 280 | %%* {{Cult}} |
| 281 | * OneSteveLimit: A special case where the trope applies to a finisher's name; in this case, it's Vincent's FinishingMove "Redrum" being renamed as "Death from Above" to avoid confusion with the ''kata ha jime'' finisher from Wrestling/{{Hook}}. |
| 282 | |
| 283 | !!!The Patriarchy (Wrestling/ChristianCage, Killswitch, Nick Wayne, Shayna Wayne) |
| 284 | Formally named by AEW commentators days before ''AEW Full Gear 2023'' and ultimately adopted by the group, led by Christian Cage, this faction arose in the midst of his TNT Championship reign after the inaugural ''AEW [=WrestleDream=]''. |
| 285 | ---- |
| 286 | * ThePatriarch: Naturally, Christian Cage, who insists that he is not a leader to his stablemates, but their ''[[InsistentTerminology father]]'' instead. |
| 287 | |
| 288 | !!!The Undisputed Kingdom (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett), Wardlow) |
| 289 | Making their debut on ''Dynamite'' at the start of 2024, Adam Cole previously donned and comandeered "The Devil" persona in order to ensure MJF would lose his AEW World Championship while recruiting old allies Roderick Strong and The Kingdom to assist his cause, as well as Wardlow, who had a major bone to pick with Max. |
| 290 | ---- |
| 291 | * DarkReprise: The group's entrance music, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwZ-GJywpXw&ab_channel=AEWMusic Devil Rising]]", is a warped, twisted version of Cole's "All About Tha (BOOM!)". |
| 292 | |
| 293 | !!!The Infantry (Shawn Dean, Carlie Bravo, Trish Adora) |
| 294 | ---- |
| 295 | [[/folder]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | [[folder:Former Tag Teams]] |
| 298 | !!!SCU/[=SoCal=] Uncensored (Wrestling/ChristopherDaniels, Wrestling/FrankieKazarian, Scorpio Sky) (2019-2021) |
| 299 | The trio of veterans from across the wrestling world, most famously TNA and ROH, largely known for being Southern California natives and residents who cannot stand having to be on the road away from Southern California. On May 12 2021, Wrestling/TheYoungBucks defeated SCU, which lead to the dissolvement of the team. |
| 300 | ---- |
| 301 | * BreakingTheFellowship: Scorpio Sky decided to focus on his singles career on January 2020, leaving Daniels and Kazarian the only active members. On the May 12th, 2021 episode of ''Dynamite'', as per their stipulation, the two dissolved the team after being defeated by The Young Bucks. |
| 302 | * CheapHeat: Masters of it - they usually believe that wherever they are is "the WORST town (we)'ve ever been in" and frequently complain as hard as they can about it being inferior to [=SoCal=]. |
| 303 | * TheLancer: Chris Daniels, at least in comparison to Kaz and Scorpio. |
| 304 | * GeniusBonus: Their promos about whichever town they wrestled in being the WORST town they've ever been in often include wrestling trivia that happened there, usually from Chris Daniels. |
| 305 | |
| 306 | !!!Wrestling/TheDarkOrder [[Wrestling/TheSuperSmashBrothers (Stu Grayson and Evil Uno)]] (2019-2022;2023) |
| 307 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/darkordermain.jpg]] |
| 308 | [[caption-width-right:300:Evil Uno (left) and Stu Grayson (right)]] |
| 309 | The former Super Smash Bros, returning as a terribly evil tag team who appeared quite suddenly to cause mayhem in AEW. |
| 310 | ---- |
| 311 | * {{Acrofatic}}: Evil Uno is fairly stout, but that doesn't appear to stop him from indulging in high risk maneuvers of his own. |
| 312 | * BadBoss: Evil Uno often shoves his Creepers around if they're in his way or he just feels like it, but they're either too devoted or brainwashed to care. |
| 313 | * BaldOfEvil: Grayson lacks any hair, but sports a wicked BeardOfEvil to compensate. |
| 314 | * BigBadEnsemble: With Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle. The Exalted One's agenda appears to be completely independent and far more nefarious than Jericho's, who's mostly in it for money and fame. |
| 315 | * BeardOfEvil: Grayson sports one. |
| 316 | * BloodKnight: Stu Grayson is noted to have been born and bred for combat, and is always the more anxious of the two for a fight. |
| 317 | * BrainsAndBrawn: Evil Uno is the charismatic mastermind and Grayson is the physical behemoth, acting in accord. |
| 318 | * TheBrute: Grayson is mostly in it to fight people and he's directed by Uno as a living weapon. |
| 319 | * TheCorruptor: Evil Uno tempted Marko Stunt to join the Dark Order, but Jungle Boy intervened on his behalf. |
| 320 | * {{Cult}}: This is what they appear to be depicted as in the vignettes, a widespread underground organization who could potentially be anywhere and anyone. |
| 321 | * DarkIsEvil: Well, they're not called ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Dark]]'' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Order]] for nothing. |
| 322 | * DarkMessiah: Evil Uno is slowly growing into this, specifically targeting those who feel wronged by society, neglected by their friends, or just lost and looking for a place to call home. |
| 323 | * DisappointedByTheMotive: The third Dark Order vignette features Evil Uno questioning his prospective members for why they want to join. The lonely man the vignettes have been centered on replies, [[IJustWantToHaveFriends he just wanted friends]]. [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown Uno wasn't impressed, to say the least]]. |
| 324 | * TheDragon: Evil Uno is revealed to be this for the Exalted One, the true leader of the Dark Order. |
| 325 | * FinishingMove: "The Fatality", in which Uno puts his opponent in a Gory Special while Stu jumps from the top rope to lay them out with a rolling cutter. |
| 326 | * HiddenVillain: They take their marching orders from a figure called "The Exalted One", who eventually revealed himself as [[Wrestling/LukeHarper Brodie Lee]]. |
| 327 | * ILikeThoseOdds: [[BloodKnight Stu Grayson]] facing the Young Bucks ''and'' SCU all by himself? He just laughs and goes in swinging anyway. |
| 328 | * LightningBruiser: Grayson hits hard and moves just as fast. Of the two, he's more prone to high spots and flashy moves, but they have power behind them. |
| 329 | * MalevolentMaskedMen: Evil Uno and his [[{{Mooks}} Creepers]] wear black masks. Stu occasionally wears one during their entrance but discards it when wrestling. |
| 330 | ** On the other hand, the group's [[TheSmurfettePrinciple sole female member]], Anna Jay, instead wears an elegant masquerade ball-esque mask that only covers the area around her eyes. |
| 331 | * TheManBehindTheMan: Evil Uno at first appeared to be the head of the organization, before being revealed as a mere chief enforcer of a unknown figure called "The Exalted One". |
| 332 | * MightyGlacier: Uno can occasionally dabble in high spots, but is most comfortable utilizing his power and size to overwhelm opponents. |
| 333 | * {{Mooks}}: The masked Creepers that accompany Uno and Stu to the ring. |
| 334 | * MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Evil Uno's mask depicts rows of heavily serrated, crooked teeth, giving him a ghoulish appearance. |
| 335 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Aside from just the "Dark Order" moniker sounding foreboding, they're billed as hailing from "The Keep" (a archaic term for a fortress). |
| 336 | * OddlySmallOrganization: Subverted to hell and back. At first the "Order" appears to just be Uno, Grayson, and a handful of masked Creepers. But the vignettes reveal that there are in fact far more members in the organization, they're just able to put up a front of being everyday people. |
| 337 | * PurpleIsPowerful: Uno has recently settled on a purple and black color scheme to go with his new dark messenger persona. This even extends to the Creepers, with the ones wearing purple masks being slightly better than those in green. |
| 338 | * RuleOfTwo: Evil Uno is the leader of the Dark Order, with Stu being his main disciple. |
| 339 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When the Luchasaurus rampages toward the ring, taking out all of his minions, Evil Uno decides to cut and run. |
| 340 | * SinisterMinister: Evil Uno is portrayed as one in Dark Order's vignettes, running social gatherings akin to an evening mass. |
| 341 | * SinglePreceptReligion: Their ethos seems to more or less boil it down to making "losers in life" become "winners" through loss of individuality. This being a wrestling faction, they tend to target people who thus have many/big losses in their fighting records, but they have shown their definition extends to people outside the wrestling world. |
| 342 | * TomTheDarkLord: Stu Grayson doesn't exactly inspire fear for a dark cult. |
| 343 | * WeHaveReserves / ZergRush: Uno throws hordes of faceless mooks (known as "Creepers") around quite often. |
| 344 | |
| 345 | !!!Jurassic Express ("Jungle Boy" Jack Perry, Luchasaurus; formerly Marko Stunt and Christian Cage) (2019-2022) |
| 346 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jungleexpress.jpg]] |
| 347 | [[caption-width-right:300:Jungle Boy sits on the shoulders of Luchasaurus on the left, Marko Stunt on the right.]] |
| 348 | Initially just a really great [[ABoyAndHisX Boy and His X]] tag team, Jurassic Express is one of the more outwardly unique tag teams due to the lethal combo of speed and strength that Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus provided. Eventually they picked up a third member in order to more successfully combat The Dark Order and to keep him from being corrupted: the diminutive Marko Stunt. Incidentally, Jungle Boy is the real-life son of late actor Creator/LukePerry. |
| 349 | ---- |
| 350 | * TheBigGuy: Luchasaurus, unsurprisingly. He's the biggest of Jurassic Express, yet is deceptively agile for his size, such as the ability to perform a standing backflip onto an opponent lying on the ring. |
| 351 | * ABoyAndHisX: Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus are a boy and his... wrestling anthropomorphic dinosaur(?) In fact, when the team was initially just Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus, it was named "A Boy and His Dinosaur." Additionally, when Marko first joined them, Jurassic Express was introduced as "A small boy, a boy, and his dinosaur." |
| 352 | * BerserkButton: Inferring that he offers nothing to the group's dynamic is one for Marko Stunt. It was PlayedForLaughs when brought up by Brodie Lee Jr. (i.e. -1), but taken seriously when brought up by future opponents FTR. The latter provoking Marko was enough for him to say that he'll fight them alongside Jungle Boy rather than Luchasaurus. |
| 353 | * {{Determinator}}: All three are willing to go the distance, but Jungle Boy takes the cake, as he answered Chris Jericho's challenge to last ten minutes, did so, and ''still got in offense'' even as the extra time got him in the end. |
| 354 | * DroppedABridgeOnHim: After Christian Cage's {{Heel}} turn when Jurassic Express lost the AEW World Tag Team Championship, he subtly threatened Luchasaurus by [[ShameIfSomethingHappened reminding him what happened to Marko]]. This was the first time Marko Stunt's departure from AEW was addressed in-story, raising the possibility that Christian had something to do with it. |
| 355 | * {{Expy}}: Jungle Boy's gimmick was pretty clearly inspired by Creator/MarvelComics' Ka-Zar the Savage, with Luchasaurus filling the role of his prehistoric non-human sidekick. |
| 356 | * FinishingMove: |
| 357 | ** As a duo, "The Tomb-Stone Age", a Tombstone piledriver/mid-air cutter combo. |
| 358 | ** Jungle Boy's solo finisher is the "Snare Trap" (a cross-legged STF). Upon turning {{Heel}}, Luchasaurus also adopted his version of the Snare Trap called the "Tar Pit", albeit with a nerve hold rather than a choke. |
| 359 | * {{Foil}}: Jungle Boy has quite a lot in common with Wrestling/DarbyAllin. Both of them are relatively young up-and-comers known for their theatrical wrestling gimmicks and their [[FragileSpeedster quick and agile wrestling styles]], and they're both {{mentor}}ed by older veteran wrestlers (Wrestling/{{Christian}} and Wrestling/{{Sting}}, respectively). The difference is that Darby is known for his darkly antiheroic persona as a violent and unhinged punk rocker, he uses a genuinely intimidating gothic-tinged gimmick, and he's a natural loner who prefers to [[IWorkAlone fight alone]] apart from his occasional tag-team matches with Sting. By contrast: Jungle Boy is known for his cheerful public persona and his [[KidAppealCharacter colorful and kid-friendly ring gimmick]], and he's part of a close-knit trio of [[TrueCompanions inseparable partners]]. Incidentally, they're both known as two of the [[EliteFour "Four Pillars"]] of AEW. |
| 360 | * FragileSpeedster: Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt are both incredibly agile and quick on their feet but not quite as hardy as Luchasaurus. |
| 361 | * GeniusBruiser: Luchasaurus is deceptively smart and calculating in the ring despite his brutish appearance. See also HiddenDepths. |
| 362 | * HiddenDepths: Luchasaurus has an actual Master's degree in medieval history, a fact he sometimes references. |
| 363 | * MadeOfIron: Jungle Boy has the durability of much larger wrestlers, able to take a lot of hits before needing to tag his partner in. |
| 364 | * NoSell: Luchasaurus upon return from injury basically walked through The Dark Order's minions like they were made of paper mache. |
| 365 | * OddFriendship: Outside the ring, Jack is a very close friend of ''Dr. Britt Baker'', of all people. Overlaps with PlatonicLifePartners. |
| 366 | * OfficialCouple: Jack Perry announced that he was dating Anna Jay of Wrestling/{{the Dark Order}} in June 2021. |
| 367 | * RealSongThemeTune: Since the beginning of 2021, Jungle Boy began using "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora as his entrance theme. He had previously used it in the indies, but Tony Khan bought the rights to the song so it could be used in AEW, too. |
| 368 | * SixthRanger: Wrestling/ChristianCage, who effectively joined the group as TheMentor, eventually using his tag team expertise to guide Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus to their first championship win over The Lucha Bros. |
| 369 | * TagalongKid: Marko Stunt was sort of this and the group's MoralityPet, as in their mockumentary promo they largely dragged him along like a hyperactive kid, but jumped to his defense when The Dark Order attempted to corrupt him. |
| 370 | * TarzanBoy: This is Jungle Boy's entire gimmick. His entrance theme is even the same-named Baltimora song for good measure. |
| 371 | * TeamDad: Luchasaurus is presented as this in their mockumentary promo, scolding Marko Stunt for "being naughty" and stopping him from going off on his own. |
| 372 | * TrueCompanions: Even in their short time together, all three quickly came to each other's defense in any match they were in, and reunited with a hug when Luchasaurus returned from injury. |
| 373 | |
| 374 | !!!Hybrid 2 (Angelico and Jack Evans) (2019-2022) |
| 375 | AAA's premier heel tag team made up of two historically talented but egotistical men. |
| 376 | ---- |
| 377 | * ArrogantKungFuGuy: They are very good and they want you to know it. All the time. Particularly Jack Evans. |
| 378 | * BigGuyLittleGuy: Angelico (clocking at 1.93 m/6'3") towers over Jack Evans (1.73 m/5'8"). The discrepancy between their sizes and builds is presumably why they are named "The Hybrid Two". Unlike most examples of this trope, however, Jack Evans is short and skinny, while Angelico is [[LeanAndMean tall and skinny]], rather than being a bulky power wrestler. |
| 379 | * ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Both sport a radioactive green and black color scheme. |
| 380 | * FragileSpeedster: Lucha Libre pro wrestlers who largely competed in the cruiserweight divisions. Thankfully, AEW's tag division means they're rarely thrown up against hosses, but they do have trouble with more hard-hitting competitors when they're slowed down. |
| 381 | * TheGrappler: Angelico stands out with the lleveo (chain grappling) style of lucha libre. |
| 382 | * LastOfHisKind: Their theme song introduces them as "The Last of the True Hybrids". What that actually means is up for grabs. |
| 383 | * WalkingInRhythm: Angelico is always walking in step with the team's entrance theme. |
| 384 | |
| 385 | !!![[Wrestling/SantanaAndOrtiz Proud and Powerful]] (Mike Santana and Angel Ortiz) (2019-2023) |
| 386 | A pair of proud "Nuyoricans"[[note]]NYC residents of Puerto Rican descent[[/note]] who showed up after defecting from IMPACT Wrestling. See their own page for more information. |
| 387 | ---- |
| 388 | * BigApplesauce: Both billed from New York City. |
| 389 | * BloodKnight: A pair of them. They actively stated they're not going after the tag belts yet because they haven't taken the title of "best tag team" from the Young Bucks by facing them. And they're gonna keep beating up on them until they get their chance to do it. |
| 390 | -->'''Santana:''' Every time we see you, it's on SIGHT. EVERY CITY. EVERY STATE. EVERY ARENA. BECAUSE THIS SHIT DON'T END HERE! |
| 391 | * BrooklynRage: Of the Puerto Rican variety. |
| 392 | * CatchPhrase: Ortiz is very fond of screaming "THE BEST! THE BEST!" to refer to either himself or his allies. |
| 393 | * CoveredInGunge: Also victims of Orange Cassidy's orange juice assault (details in Chris Jericho's entry). |
| 394 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Santana mentions a pretty grim and sad past in the rough side of the Bronx including his father going blind from a disease. |
| 395 | * FinishingMove: "Street Sweeper" (Powerbomb/Blockbuster combo) |
| 396 | * GreenEyedMonster: They clearly envy the Young Bucks's fame and reputation and thus vow to bring them down. |
| 397 | * ImprobableWeaponUser: Ortiz often wields a loaded sock (i.e a sock full of hard marbles or baseballs or something) in the ring. |
| 398 | * ILied: One particularly priceless moment came in Episode 181 of ''WebVideo/BeingTheElite'' (appropiately named "We Lied") after they were passing through backstage and appeared to be causing no problem. |
| 399 | -->'''Ortiz:''' Hey, Brandon![[note]]Brandon Cutler, BTE's cameraman[[/note]] Guess what? WE LIED! |
| 400 | -->''(Santana and Ortiz proceed to beat up Brandon Cutler and everyone else)'' |
| 401 | * NixonMask: Showed up in a pair of them on their first night in AEW. |
| 402 | * NoticingTheFourthWall: While trying to drown Matt Hardy during the Studio Stampede match at Double or Nothing 2020, a splash screen appears to the right of them showing off "[=MATTer=] of Facts" about him. They notice it and Ortiz even checks his watch to see if one of the facts is true. |
| 403 | * PowerStable: Both were part of The Inner Circle. |
| 404 | * RedBaron: "The Proud and Powerful" doubles as a moniker for the two of them, with Santana being known as "The Proud" and Ortiz as "The Powerful". |
| 405 | * RedOniBlueOni: They are [[DownplayedTrope both very hot-blooded]], but between them Santana tends to be more collected while Ortiz is pretty much always raving and ranting. |
| 406 | |
| 407 | !!! The Varsity Blondes (Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr.) (2020-2023) |
| 408 | ---- |
| 409 | * EightiesHair: Brian Pillman Jr. sports a mullet. |
| 410 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: Griff has a much more prominent presence in Sammy Guevara's vlog. |
| 411 | * MistakenIdentity: Griff Garrison got mistaken for Jungle Boy several times in BTE. |
| 412 | * TwoGuysAndAGirl: Accompanied by Julia Hart. |
| 413 | * WrestlingFamily: As his name implies, Brian Pillman Jr. is the son of Wrestling/BrianPillman. The Varsity Blondes take their name from the team Pillman Sr. had with Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, "The Hollywood Blonds". |
| 414 | |
| 415 | !!! The Men of the Year (Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page) (2021-2022) |
| 416 | ---- |
| 417 | * CoolShades: They both have these on when they are not wrestling. |
| 418 | * JerkAss: A pair of them who every time they show up act like total cocky assholes. |
| 419 | * SharpDressedMan: A more casual version of this, but emphasized by their entrances which looks like a video package from GQ magazine. |
| 420 | |
| 421 | !!! Swerve in our Glory (Wrestling/KeithLee and Wrestling/SwerveStrickland) (2022-2023) |
| 422 | ---- |
| 423 | * ArchEnemy: Of Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs from Team Taz |
| 424 | * FinishingMove: "Swerve Stomp" (simultaneous powerbomb by Lee and diving foot stomp by Strickland) |
| 425 | %%* TeethClenchedTeamwork |
| 426 | |
| 427 | !!! Better Than You Bay Bay (Wrestling/{{MJF}} and Wrestling/AdamCole) (2023) |
| 428 | ---- |
| 429 | * FinishingMove: They like finishing their matches by linking their arms together and delivering a clothesline simultaneously against their opponent, yelling out "DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!" before doing so. |
| 430 | * VitriolicBestBuds: The two regularly argue and annoy each other about topics ranging from hobbies, to food, to Max's lack of work ethic. They also tend to explode in anger towards the other. However, the two genuinely care for eachother, and when things get tense, they almost always hug it out. |
| 431 | |
| 432 | !!! The Hardys (Wrestling/JeffHardy and Wrestling/MattHardy) (2022-2024) |
| 433 | %% "The Hardy Boyz" is trademarked by WWE. |
| 434 | ---- |
| 435 | [[/folder]] |
| 436 | |
| 437 | [[folder:Former Factions]] |
| 438 | !!! The Nightmare Family (Cody Rhodes; Dustin Rhodes; Brandi Rhodes; Arn Anderson; The Gunn Club; Lee Johnson; Brock Anderson) (2019-2022) |
| 439 | After quietly drifting away from his teammates in The Elite, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes [[StartMyOwn established himself as the head of his own faction]], backed by his family and close friends--as well as his students and proteges from his wrestling school, "The Nightmare Factory". Although the group suffered an early schism after Cody's long-time friend and ally QT Marshall (co-owner of the Nightmare Factory) [[WeUsedToBeFriends turned on him]] and started his own splinter group, "The Factory", they remained a respected faction throughout AEW's early years, with Red Velvet and "Big Shotty" Lee Johnson emerging as notable breakout talents under Cody's tutelage. Despite this, they abruptly disbanded in early-2022 after Cody choose to leave AEW, leaving his proteges to go their separate ways. |
| 440 | ---- |
| 441 | |
| 442 | !!! [[Wrestling/InnerCircle The Inner Circle]] (Chris Jericho; Sammy Guevara; Santana and Ortiz; Jake Hager) (2019-2022) |
| 443 | When Jericho announced he had major plans for his run in AEW, The Inner Circle is what resulted at the end of the debut ''Dynamite'' episode. Fighting against multiple foes since its inception, the faction would be one of earliest, most dominating groups in AEW, but started floundering in 2022 when Eddie Kingston accused Jericho of holding back Santana and Ortiz from main event status. Sammy would leave the group when tensions between Chris and Proud and Powerful were at an all time high; post-''AEW Revolution 2022'', The Inner Circle would effectively be disbanded when Jericho and Hager kicked Santana and Ortiz out, forming a new faction - "The Jericho Appreciation Society". |
| 444 | ---- |
| 445 | * CoordinatedClothes: Occasionally, the group would wear matching motorcycle cut-off vests. |
| 446 | * FlippingTheBird: Their go-to gesture as {{Heel}}s against not only their opponents, but also the audience. |
| 447 | * HeelFaceTurn: They turned {{Face}} once they established their rivalry against The Pinnacle. |
| 448 | * ShoutOut: One of the patches on the front of their vests is "[[Series/SonsOfAnarchy Inner Circle Original]]". |
| 449 | |
| 450 | !!! Team Taz (Taz, Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook) (2020-2022) |
| 451 | Initially starting as Brian Cage's manager, Taz expanded his stable to include Ricky Starks, Will "Powerhouse" Hobbs, and his son Hook. Team Taz also carries the FTW Championship, which is unrecognized by AEW. On the August 3, 2022 episode of ''Dynamite'', Taz officially disbanded Team Taz due to Powerhouse Hobbs attacking Ricky Starks after the latter lost the FTW belt to Hook. |
| 452 | ---- |
| 453 | * ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Their signature color is orange, just like the FTW belt. |
| 454 | * MistreatmentInducedBetrayal: {{Inverted}} by Taz as the (former) overseer of Team Taz. All members of Team Taz had apparently gone into business for themselves (Starks throwing out extra open challenges for the FTW Championship, Hook taking one of those open challenges, Hobbs betraying and assaulting Starks) without running anything by Taz, so the veteran took it upon himself to officially dissolve the group since he was fed up with everyone going over his head. |
| 455 | |
| 456 | !!! Wrestling/ThePinnacle (MJF, Wardlow, Shawn Spears, FTR and Tully Blanchard) (2021-2022) |
| 457 | AEW's incarnation of Wrestling/TheFourHorsemen, this faction was secretly formed by MJF during his time in the Inner Circle, finally revealing themselves in March 2021 after MJF [[TheStarscream betrayed]] the latter group after months of covertly sabotaging them from within. After spending most of 2021 as a powerhouse faction, cracks in the group's foundation began to show after Wardlow [[TheDogBitesBack turned against]] MJF in early 2022, and their future seemed uncertain after FTR quietly drifted away from MJF in their pursuit of tag team championships.\ |
| 458 | \ |
| 459 | The Pinnacle would be quietly disbanded by June 2022 as most people wrote them off as defunct after MJF [[PutOnABus vanished from AEW]] for more than three months following his defeat at ''AEW Double or Nothing 2022'', particularly after he revealed "The Firm" as a new stable of allies after his [[TheBusCameBack return]]. Despite the group's dissolution, FTR and Wardlow did aid each other in the ring--leading to quite a bit of speculation about them reuniting without Max. |
| 460 | ---- |
| 461 | * EvilCounterpart: To The Inner Circle as MJF fashioned his group to behave like the former with him as their leader. |
| 462 | * EvilerThanThou: Part of MJF's reason for forming The Pinnacle and turning on The Inner Circle was that he was disappointed by how [[HarmlessVillain silly and ineffective]] Chris Jericho had become. |
| 463 | * VillainDecay: With FTR firing Tully Blanchard so they could focus on acquiring tag team championships and Wardlow leaving the group because of his grievances with MJF, The Pinnacle slowly became a shadow of its former self after ''AEW Revolution 2022''. The fact that Max was absent after losing to Wardlow at ''AEW Double or Nothing 2022'' was indicative of the faction's downfall. Ultimately, the group would quietly dissolve with no fanfare. |
| 464 | |
| 465 | !!! The Factory (QT Marshall; Anthony Ogogo; Nick Comoroto; Aaron Solo; Cole Karter; Lee Johnson) (2021-2023) |
| 466 | Frustrated with his treatment under Cody Rhodes, QT Marshall decided to swipe from Cody's top talent to create his own stable of wrestlers. By 2023, the faction was shelved in favor of QTV; many of its former members would appear in the latter stable. |
| 467 | ---- |
| 468 | * APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: They're renegade students from The Nightmare Factory (the wrestling school run by The Nightmare Family), led by their disgruntled teacher. |
| 469 | |
| 470 | !!![[Wrestling/JerichoAppreciationSociety The Jericho Appreciation Society]] (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Daniel Garcia, 2point0, Sammy Guevara, Tay Melo, Anna Jay A.S.) (2022-2023) |
| 471 | |
| 472 | -> ''The Jericho Appreciation Society: for over (insert length of time), the recognized symbol of excellence, of sports entertainers''. |
| 473 | -> ''The Jericho Appreciation Society: the epitome of sports entertainers''. |
| 474 | |
| 475 | After getting sick of the friction happening within The Inner Circle in early 2022, Jericho decided to reinvent himself yet again and regrouped with a brand new faction after ''AEW Revolution 2022'' that's focused on sports entertainment. |
| 476 | ---- |
| 477 | * CoordinatedClothes: During the "Anarchy in the Arena" match at ''AEW Double or Nothing 2022'', all of its members (sans Sammy and Tay as they didn't join the group yet) dressed in the same color-coded clothing as one another (white gloves, pants, shoes and cut-off vests). This would be repeated at ''AEW Blood and Guts 2022'', but this time in red, while the group would be decked out in purple following Jericho's win for the Ring of Honor World Championship from the 2022 edition of ''Dynamite Grand Slam''. |
| 478 | * CultOfPersonality: As the name implies, the other members of The Jericho Appreciation Society exist to prop up Chris Jericho's ego. He founded the group (at least in part) because his former teammates, Santana and Ortiz, didn’t “appreciate” him. |
| 479 | * EvilCounterpart: To The Inner Circle, especially since this is basically Jericho rebooting the former to fully embrace his egotistical {{Heel}} persona. |
| 480 | * {{Foil}}: While not quite to the level of EvilCounterpart like the JAS is to the former Inner Circle, they are the antithesis to The Blackpool Combat Club - both factions were founded at a similar time, but while the BCC is focused on promoting serious wrestling, the JAS desires to put sports entertainment first, with the BCC acting as an obvious counterpoint to Jericho's gang of entertainers. The JAS is also (as the name implies) a CultOfPersonality formed around Chris Jericho, while the BCC pride themselves on their devotion to the craft of wrestling, and they balance their individual aspirations against their commitment to the group. |
| 481 | * ItsAllAboutMe: With a name like The Jericho Appreciation Society, we wouldn't expect anything less. |
| 482 | * ShoutOut: Their outfits at Anarchy in the Arena practically turned them into a parallel of [[Film/AClockworkOrange The Droogs]]. |
| 483 | * TakeThat: The emphasis of this group as sports entertainers who beat up pro wrestlers makes them a giant jab at the Wrestling/{{WWE}}, to wit they call their fans the "AEW Galaxy", similar to how WWE proclaims their audience as the "WWE Universe". |
| 484 | * TokenGoodTeammate: Daniel Garcia is noticeably less sycophantic than the other members of the group, and is one of the few who generally avoids relying on underhanded tactics to win. Despite the group's animosity with The Blackpool Combat Club, Garcia and Bryan Danielson clearly view one another as {{Worthy Opponent}}s. |
| 485 | |
| 486 | !!!The Baddies (Jade Cargill, Leila Grey; formerly Kiera Hogan and Red Velvet) (2022-2023) |
| 487 | The first major female faction in AEW led by current TBS Champion Jade Cargill with Red Velvet and Kiera Hogan as her recruits, while Stokely Hathaway joined as their manager following ''AEW Revolution 2022'', as well as him bringing in Leila Grey during July 2022, though Stokely would leave the group by mid-September to form his faction, "The Firm". Due to mounting tensions between Jade and her stablemates during her TBS Championship reign, Kiera and Red were tossed out of the faction, with the group ultimately dissolving quietly after Jade's first official loss and exit from AEW. |
| 488 | ---- |
| 489 | |
| 490 | !!!The Trustbusters (Ari Daivari, Slim J, Jeeves Kay; formerly Parker Boudreaux, Sonny Kiss) (2022-2023) |
| 491 | Formed in July 2022 on AEW Dark, this faction arose from Ari's trust fund kicking in during the month, making him "the richest person" in the promotion. He quickly acquired the contracts for Parker Boudreaux and Slim J afterwards and added them to his name, while Sonny Kiss joined in August. Parker eventually wound up joining The Mogul Affiliates by December and Sonny left AEW in September 2023. Due to the group's lack of appearances, The Trustbusters ceased to exist following Sonny's departure. |
| 492 | ---- |
| 493 | |
| 494 | !!!The Firm (Stokely Hathaway, Lee Moriarty, Ethan Page, The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn), Big Bill; formerly Matt Hardy, Private Party) (2022-2023) |
| 495 | Formally introduced in September 2022 during ''Dynamite'' by MJF, Stokely Hathaway began offering his services to multiple clients during the mid-year. Initially described by Stokely as a "support system" for MJF, The Firm is composed mostly of disenfranchised wrestlers who believe they're not getting the respect and attention in AEW that they deserve. In October 2022, Stokely purchased the contracts of Private Party from the former-Andrade Family Office, while Ethan Page defeated Isiah Kassidy to acquire Matt Hardy's contract into The Firm. |
| 496 | |
| 497 | By May 2023, due to Matt changing the contents of his contract with The Firm, he and Private Party were able to legally leave the faction. Once Jeff Hardy returned to AEW, the Hardys, Isiah and HOOK challenged and defeated Stokely, Moriarty, Page and Bill in "The Firm Deletion" match, disbanding the group entirely. |
| 498 | ---- |
| 499 | * DudeWheresMyRespect: The group's major gripe and formation was due to the disrespect they received from their AEW peers and the audience. |
| 500 | * HiredGuns: The Firm's first outing as a faction was during the Casino Ladder Match at ''AEW All Out 2022'' where they helped out the "Joker" entrant win by beating up the other opponents before the former's entrance and retrieving the poker chip, which guarantees the winner a shot at the AEW World Championship in the future. As the Joker turned out to be MJF, he revealed he spent a lot of money for their assistance during his return at the pay-per-view, calling them a faction "on retainer" during their ''Dynamite'' introduction. |
| 501 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: This short-lived faction in AEW didn't last a full-calendar year before being disbanded. That their motivations weren't so clear-cut compared to other existing factions may have been a reason for its dissolution. |
| 502 | |
| 503 | !!!The Embassy (Tully Blanchard, Jonathan Gresham, Prince Nana, Brian Cage, Gates of Agony (Kaun, Toa Liona)) (2022-2023) |
| 504 | ---- |
| 505 | Previously known as "Tully Blanchard Enterprises" from Ring of Honor, Prince Nana bought out the faction from Tully himself at ''Death Before Dishonor 2022'', which brought him Brian Cage alongside Kaun and Toa Liona - "The Gates of Agony". Rebranded as The Embassy (which is based on the same-named faction from Prince Nana seen throughout Ring of Honor), the group made their AEW debut during late-September. In April 2023, they aligned with Swerve Strickland and his "Mogul Affiliates" to become the "Mogul Embassy". |
| 506 | |
| 507 | !!!QTV (Q.T. Marshall, Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto, [[Wrestling/JohnMorrison Johnny TV]], Harley Cameron, Powerhouse Hobbs) (2023) |
| 508 | Created during Powerhouse Hobbs' run as TNT Champion in 2023, this group by Q.T. Marshall stylizes themselves as a sensationalist faction aimed at smearing their opponents' reputation. In an unexpected twist, Q.T. recruited Johnny Elite in June 2023, who would rebrand himself as "Johnny TV". On November 2023, Q.T. Marshall left AEW, with the stable quietly dissolving soon afterwards. |
| 509 | ---- |
| 510 | %%* MsFanservice: Harley |
| 511 | * ShoutOut: The filming style used during QTV's sessions is reminiscent of the ones used by tabloid organization "TMZ". |
| 512 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: Even shorter in existence than The Firm, QTV appeared for roughly seven months from mid-March to November. With Hobbs leaving to join The Don Callis Family in October and Marshall's exit from the company, it's little wonder the group dissipated. |
| 513 | |
| 514 | !!!Mogul Affiliates / Mogul Embassy (Swerve Strickland, Music/RickRoss, Prince Nana, Brian Cage, The Gates of Agony (Kaun, Toa Liona), Trench, AR Fox, Parker Boudreaux) (2023-2024) |
| 515 | Following a violent break-up with his ex-tag team partner Keith Lee, Swerve created a new faction called the "Mogul Affiliates" with fellow musician Rick Ross, Parker Boudreaux and Trench. Due to the latter two being sidelined by injuries, Swerve purchased The Embassy from Ring of Honor to create the "Mogul Embassy", adding in more managerial and muscle power. |
| 516 | \ |
| 517 | Upon becoming AEW World Champion and starting his feud with Christian Cage in the lead-up to ''AEW Double or Nothing 2024'', Swerve was brutally assaulted by Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony in May, cutting their ties with him and Prince Nana. The faction would ultimately be disbanded in the following weeks as Swerve attacked his former stablemates in retaliation for their betrayal. |
| 518 | ---- |
| 519 | * FlatCharacter: Even though Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony had been the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions, they weren't able to be anything more than Swerve's enforcers with little characteristics and personalities upon The Embassy merging with The Mogul Affiliates. After betraying Swerve, Cage, Kaun and Liona accused Swerve of neglecting them thoughout the faction's existence, with this reaching the breaking point when he became AEW World Champion. |
| 520 | * WeHardlyKnewYe: Trench, who only made a handful of appearances before his contract expired, not even participating in a match before his departure. |
| 521 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Boudreaux and Trench were noticeably absent during the merger between the Mogul Affiliates and the Embassy, and Swerve was the only Affiliates member present during the merger. Trench would depart from AEW shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Boudreaux {{Zigzagged}} with this as he would confirm that he was still employed by AEW after his stablemate's leave, and his place on the official AEW roster page was updated to confirm him as a member of the Mogul Embassy, which implied a likely return after recovering from his injury. However, he would be released from the promotion at the end of March 2024. |
| 522 | * YouHaveFailedMe: After AR Fox was pinned in a tornado tag team match against Darby and Nick on the last ''Dynamite'' before ''AEW All In 2023'', Swerve had Fox fired from the faction as he used this match as a SecretTestOfCharacter to see if he would not waste another opportunity. |
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