5 Worst title reigns in AEW so far

The AEW audience has been a witness to several industry-altering title reigns over the years. From Toni Storm's timeless third reign as the AEW Women's World Champion to Kenny Omega's historic run as the AEW World Champion, the Jacksonville-based promotion has seen the emergence of several great titleholders since its inception in 2019.

Tony Khan has not always been up to the mark when it comes to booking champions in All Elite Wrestling. Numerous superstars bore the brunt of atrocious creative decisions after capturing a championship in the company.

In this article, let's look at the five worst title reigns in AEW history.

---

#5 Saraya failed to impress as the AEW Women's World Champion

Saraya debuted in AEW in September 2022. It was considered a major signing by the Tony Khan-led organization, as a household name like The Anti-Diva added a lot of credibility to the women's division.

At All In 2023, Saraya defeated Hikaru Shida, Toni Storm, and Britt Baker in a decent contest to capture the AEW Women's World Champion. It seemed like a rushed decision on Khan's part, as The Glampire was not a popular figure in the wrestling community at the time.

The only reason behind the shocking title change could be Khan wanting Saraya to have a moment in front of her home audience in the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the former WWE Divas Champion arguably failed to create any impact as the new face of the AEW women's division.

The Anti-Diva only held the title for 44 days and had one successful title defense against Toni Storm. In October 2023, Saraya dropped the gold to Hikaru Shida on Dynamite.

For someone who was expected to take the division to new heights, the erstwhile Paige ended up having an underwhelming reign at the top. Tony Khan seemingly did not have any plans for her title reign, which is why she only had a single successful championship defense.

#4 Private Party never got going as champions

After years of unsuccessful attempts, Private Party finally got their moment of glory last year. In October 2024, the duo of Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen dethroned The Young Bucks on Fright Night Dynamite to become the new AEW World Tag Team Champions.

Now that the Bucks were no longer leading the charge, it seemed like the All Elite Wrestling's tag team division would enter a new era. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

Tony Khan could not follow up on Private Party's historic crowning as tag team champions. Kassidy and Quen went on to hold the prestigious titles for a mere 84 days.

During this period, Private Party only had two successful title defenses. The duo never felt like a major piece of AEW's weekly programming, as they were barely featured on Dynamite.

Full Gear 2024 was the only pay-per-view where the dynamic tag team got the opportunity to defend their title. To make matters worse, Private Party lost their gold to The Hurt Syndicate, who did not benefit much from winning the AEW World Tag Team Championship.

After waiting five years for their turn, the popular team could have expected a better run as the rulers of the company's tag team division.

#3 The Death Riders have suffered from inconsistent booking as the World Trios Champions

At All In 2024, the trio of Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta captured the AEW World Trios Title in a Four-Way Ladder match. The first half of the group's reign was quite decent, as they had a few great defenses against some solid teams.

However, the World Trios Title took a backseat the moment The Death Riders turned heel. Since All Out 2024, the trio has been presented more as lackeys of Jon Moxley rather than the emperors of the Trios division.

Claudio Castagnoli's participation in the Continental Classic further prevented The Death Riders from defending their title for an extended period. While they had a couple of decent matches with The Undisputed Kingdom, the lack of exciting buildup to these encounters indicated the absence of any solid creative plan for the group.

It seems like The Death Riders are holding on to the coveted title so that The One True King could appear even more threatening as a heel. The World Trios Championship is barely talked about on the promotion's weekly programming, which is a concerning sign for the future of the gold.

Unless the group turns things around in the next few months, The Death Riders will likely go down as the worst AEW World Trios Champions in history.

#2 Jon Moxley's World Championship reign has turned out to be a disappointment

Jon Moxley's first three reigns as the AEW World Champion were quite beneficial to the Jacksonville-based promotion. When The One True King captured his fourth World Championship at WrestleDream 2024, fans expected another great run at the top for Moxley.

In a shocking turn of events, The Purveyor of Violence failed to recreate his past success as the AEW World Champion. While it did generate intrigue initially, Moxley's heel character quickly lost its connection with fans.

Jon Moxley's fourth World Title reign has been far from compelling. Despite having multiple successful title defenses against Cope, Jay White, "Hangman" Adam Page, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Orange Cassidy, The One True King has failed to catch the attention of the audience.

The ambiguous promos and repetitive booking have caused fans to withdraw their interest from Jon Moxley's title reign. With exciting options like Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega around, fans are not too keen on Moxley continuing as the World Champion.

AEW has continually struggled on the ratings front since The One True King's fourth World Title victory. Jon Moxley's recent encounters with Cope were quite disappointing and generated much criticism from fans.

The main event scene of the Jacksonville-based promotion continues to be the most underwhelming part of the company's weekly programming. It is high time that Tony Khan takes the title off Moxley, as several worthy challengers are waiting for their turn at the top.

#1 Bryan Danielson should have had a longer title reign

At All In 2024, Bryan Danielson dethroned Swerve Strickland to become the new AEW World Champion. It was one of the most emotional moments in the promotion's history. Unfortunately, Tony Khan never had any major plans for Danielson's solitary World Title reign.

Despite being a cornerstone of AEW for the past three years, The American Dragon only got to hold the title for a mere 48 days. During this reign, the veteran only defended his title against Jack Perry. The buildup to the championship defense was underwhelming, to say the least.

The American Dragon spent a major chunk of his reign on the sidelines, selling the effects of The Death Riders' unprecedented attack at All Out 2024. At WrestleDream 2024, The One True King ended Danielson's title reign and his full-time in-ring career.

In hindsight, Tony Khan should have kept the World Title on Bryan Danielson for a longer period. Unfortunately, The American Dragon barely accomplished anything during his title reign after being a part of one of the greatest World Championship wins of all time.