3 Reasons why Cody and The Young Bucks will become AEW's top bad guys

All Elite Wrestling debuted on TNT in October with a mission of turning their top-level talent into household names. AEW has been deftly using the well-known stars of the company to elevate the status of the lesser-known wrestlers. After two matches - one with Cody and one with Chris Jericho - Darby Allin is now a star. The Young Bucks’ loss to Private Party in the first round of the Tag Team tournament elevated every other participant. When the Lucha Brothers defeated Private Party, they didn’t just beat some unknown team to advance to the next round. They beat the duo that beat The Young Bucks.

Despite the high-level of fan support and popularity The Elite has received thus far, I contend that we will eventually find out that they are AEW's true villains. AEW has been a masterful storytelling machine. The Countdown to Full Gear video the company produced is truly incredible. The production (watch below) astutely mixes in-ring promos with top-notch, documentary-style video packages.

Is the Inner Circle going the way of the nWo?

Where is this all heading? I’m certain the company will not going to drive The Inner Circle vs. The Elite into the ground like WCW did with the nWo invasion. Cody had a front row seat to the mistakes that were made, and Jericho was in the middle of all of it.

One thing the nWo and The Inner Circle have in common is that they are both very cool heel groups that are over with the fans.

AEW definitely has a plan and the company has the potential to entertain for months on end. They have been dropping hints about the direction of this storyline which we'll unpack in this article.

Please keep in mind, these are my own personal observations and prognostications and they do not represent the opinion of Sportskeeda.

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#3 Association with MJF

MJF: One of the best heels in the business.

MJF is one of the most notorious heels in independent wrestling. A quick search of his name will reveal that top wrestling publications around the world have regarded him as one of the greatest heels in the world of professional wrestling.

At Fyter Fest he was introduced by the ring announcer like so, “He says he is better than you and you know it.” He then took the microphone and showed why he is referred to as one of the best heels in the business.

His debut match on Dynamite’s first episode gave him a platform to display his heel-ish nature, as well.

MJF is fun right now as a babyface, but this is only a temporary situation. Ultimately, his skill-set lies in being a wrestler that fans love to hate. His pairing with the ultra-popular Elite group could be an omen of the story to come.

#2 Their current struggles will eventually end

Kenny Omega loses to Pac at AEW All Out.

The Young Bucks were heavily favored to walk away from the tournament as the inaugural AEW Tag Team Champions. This was not the case, however, as they lost in the first round to Private Party in what can only be described as a shocking upset. Cody also suffered a time limit draw to Darby Allin at Fyter Fest. On the debut episode of Dynamite, he beat Sammy Guevara by the skin of his teeth.

The narrative for The Elite thus far has been The Young Bucks, Cody, and Kenny Omega stuck in a funk. Each member of the group is struggling in one way or another. The countdown video touched on the struggles of all four wrestlers. They should be heavy favorites in almost every match, but it does not feel that way at the moment due to their struggles. The company is doing a great job of highlighting and even featuring the struggles of The Elite and it's getting over with fans, who often love to cheer on the underdogs.

In the meantime, Chris Jericho has dominated headlines, put catchphrases on t-shirts, and created The Inner Circle. The Elite's struggles have also given way to stardom for The Inner Circle.

Eventually, the group is going to get back to their winning ways and when they do, they may lose some of the lovable underdog status they've gained with AEW fans. The perspective will eventually change when these fan favorites inevitably begin winning more of their matches.

There is one more factor to consider once they reclaim their spots as titans of the industry and that can be found on the next slide.

#1 AEW = All Executive Wrestling

Cody is no "Man of the People."

Cody voluntarily added a stipulation that he won’t challenge for another world title, if he loses his match with Chris Jericho at Full Gear. The moment he goes back on his word, he loses credibility and integrity. The natural path for this storyline is a slow descent into greed and questionable ethics. Eventually The Elite will replace their underdog status and become top-dogs.

The idea that they are all executives with the company is not being used against them right now because it will cast the babyfaces in a negative light, but that will likely change soon. In fact, the only person to really make it an issue has been Cody himself. Down the road, when the ethics of their decisions become more questionable, expect the ultra-cool Inner Circle to pounce on the notion that these guys are using their corporate powers to put themselves in all the top spots.

The gradual shift of The Inner Circle to good guys and The Elite to bad guys is not difficult to envision. The Inner Circle is already cool and beloved. The Elite, at their core, are a team of corporate executives that will soon find themselves at the top of the company.

If this is the way this story is heading, AEW is taking a slow-burn approach to the way it all plays out. It should make it all-the-more shocking when we finally see the dark side of Cody and company on public display.

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