All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Lashes Out Over Fan Criticism

All Elite Wrestling (AEW), a startup wrestling promotion owned by American businessman Tony Khan, has been in the news quite a bit lately. Whether it is an injury for one of their biggest fan draws or interesting interaction with fans on social media, AEW has plenty of publicity. That last thing, social media interaction, is the focus of this article. It seems that Nick Jackson, half of the tag team “The Young Bucks” and AEW Vice President, has caught himself in the sights of criticism over a recent video.

The history of All Elite Wrestling

What started as a dream shared by many wrestlers, The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes for instance, became a reality with the partnering with Tony Khan. All Elite Wrestling started life in late 2018 as Kahn filed for various trademarks that led to the announcement of a new wrestling promotion.

Over the last year or so it has been stated many times by various members of the AEW upper management that they are not at war with current industry heavyweight WWE. This has been countered nearly as often by many of the same management making snide remarks at WWE programming choices such as when specials aired on the WWE Network.

All Elite Wrestling has yet to begin filming for their live television show which will begin airing on the TNT network, home of one-time WWE challenger World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Their first show on network television is scheduled for early October 2019 on Wednesday nights.

The identity crisis of AEW management

AEW has at least four Executive Vice Presidents, Nick and Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks), Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega. I could be mistaken but I believe there is at least one more Executive Vice President of All Elite Wrestling.

This is a lot of bosses involved in the upper levels of the company.

Tradition rears its ugly head

Recently a video was made available featuring Nick Jackson at Ted Turner’s mansion at a party. At the event Nick was shown wearing the AEW Heavyweight Championship on his waist backwards.

For the average fan this may not be all that big a deal. Considering a champion has not been named yet (the winner between Chris Jericho and “Hangman” Adam Page at the All Out PPV on August 31^st).

It is not appropriate for a wrestler to wear a belt they have not earned. It is a long-standing tradition. Over the years “heel” wrestlers, the bad guys, have stolen belts and carried them to the ring and some have even worn them as a show of disrespect to the champion they took the belt from.

The problem with Nick Jackson wearing the belt is two fold, one – a champion has not been named yet. Second, wearing the belt backwards, at a party, just cheapens the value of the belt to an extent. This is supposed to be the most valuable belt in the company, and you have an executive wearing it as a party favor.

This is new ground, not tread before. Ted Turner did not dance around at parties wearing the World Championship Wrestling belt when he bought Crocket Promotions and created WCW. Vince McMahon did not wear the WWF, their name before they took on the World Wildlife Foundation, belt when he bought out his father and dropped the extra “W” from World Wide Wrestling Federation. It would not be acceptable then it is not acceptable now.

The social media element

Nick Jackson had the video posted on his Twitter account, having now deleted the video after criticism arose. Brian Mook raised concern over the video and how the All Elite Wrestling belt was being portrayed on Twitter. Cody Rhodes replied to the comment with simply, “Nick?”

Nick Jackson lashed out at Mook on Twitter stating, “Am I not worthy of hold a championship I helped create?! Gtfo. SMH!!!”

Jackson has now blocked Mook, deleted the tweets, and is acting like nothing happened as far as his social media is concerned.

This is the Internet though and the Internet does not forget. Screenshots of the conversation were taken and are sprinkled around this article.

For more pictures and to discuss the situation with Mook, check out his Facebook group AEW/WWE. To follow Nick Jackson, check out his Twitter account.