Who would have thought that aurmaxxing would be the thing that would elevate Nick Wayne as an AEW star, having beat Chris Jericho twice.
For those who may not have been keeping up, Nick Wayne defeated Chris Jericho for the first time on the Grand Slam France episode of AEW Collision, following it up with another win at WrestleDream.
The Fright Night episode of AEW Collision saw Wayne take his aura to the max, and it may just be the making of the star:
‘The Pretty Boy of Professional Wrestling’
For those who may not be aware, ‘auramaxxing’ is the act of maximising one’s charisma through confidence, cool, and just being impressive, whether that be through actions or sheer presence.
This week’s Collision saw Wayne take to the streets, embodying the whole auramaxxing approach, complete with a ‘live stream’ on a platform featuring a logo that bore a noticeable similarity to Kick.
Playing into the aesthetic, Wayne was at his most confident as he strutted down the streets in a gloriously stylized offering that saw the star react to “chat”, heading to a club, and in flashy cars.
A solid start to a new character
From the first victory over Chris Jericho, Nick Wayne’s fortunes felt refreshed, particularly following criticism of the creative that had seen the 55-year-old veteran beat the 21-year-old.
Jericho has indicated that he sees his elevating others as a function of his future in AEW, reflecting on how being in his orbit saw the rise of stars like MJF.
For Wayne, the former AEW World Trios Champion has been associated with veteran names before, particularly Christian Cage, with such associations benefiting the young star. Coming out of the Jericho feud, however, this is arguably the greatest evolution of his personality, feeling more entertaining than the petulant star he was in The Patriarchy.
In his early twenties, there are plenty of opportunities to come to test the star, not just in the ring, but as a character, opening up possible feuds across a roster of established and up-and-coming names while not taking away from what he has to offer.
The downfall is coming
An arrogant character can only go so far before they meet their comeuppance. It’s not a certainly, but it’s a highly probably outcome for a character trait that is familiar to professional wrestling fans.
Jericho has been a master of navigating the pitfalls of this sort of persona over the decades and it can only be hoped that the veteran is coaching Wayne to keep the character likeable in that “I hate you” way. MJF has made a career of being what Wayne could be, and it would also be interesting to see them share the screen, just to test how far the younger star can go.
Eventually, Wayne is likely to be humbled, but the skill will be finding a way to make it meaningful while setting the star on a new trajectory that plays into the strengths he is showing in this persona.
“Nick Wayne beat Chris Jericho twice”
As a phrase, it’s something that Nick Wayne can dine on for the foreseeable future, in a similar way to how Paul Heyman pressed home that Brock Lesnar broke The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak.
The challenge will be keeping the statement fresh, particularly when Jericho goes on to his next feud but, for Wayne, it’s arguably done more for him as an AEW star and will hopefully bode well for his future.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
Comments.
Loading comments…