The December 4th edition of AEW Dynamite highlighted some of the ongoing issues that have plagued Hook's recent career. The young star went very far away from someone AEW fans to someone who seems a little overwhelmed, struggling as a single star on his own and increasingly losing the goodwill of the AEW audience. He is still inexperienced, but there will definitely be room for improvement in the future. Furthermore, AEW needs to come up with something new to freshen him up and change his fortunes.
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Below are some ideas for paths AEW could take when booking Hook to fix him and ensure he is a definite part of AEW's future.
Hook can join the patriarchy
If you can't beat them, join them
- Many fans thought Hook would join the patriarchy
- He feuded with the group but didn't gain much from it
- He was able to accept defeat and learn under the tutelage of Christian Cage
Although the patriarchy attacked Hook's father Taz, there is a world in which he accepts Christian Cage's sermons and admits defeat in his feud and joins the patriarchy. A heel version of Hook would certainly be fresh, and working on an entirely new character as one of Cage's “sons” could give him the chance to deepen his work on the mic and try out a brand new gimmick.
It would be a nice twist in the current storyline and opens several new doors for AEW. For example, Hook could later turn his back on Cage and act as an insider to take down the group, or a new trio could be added to the division in the form of Hook, Wayne, and Sabian, which would be something fresh.
Jon Moxley can recruit Hook to the Death Riders
Hook's work with several top stars could help him
- Hook can once again be portrayed as a dangerous killer
- This would involve Hook in the main scene of the event
- Several storylines can be set up for the future against AEW's top stars
Hook lacks the killer instinct and element of danger that he once had. So if he is recruited by Jon Moxley and made into some sort of silent assassin, it could help change his fortunes in AEW. The Death Riders haven't recruited much so farbut it would make sense if they increased their numbers.
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Since Hook is young, hungry and impressionable, it would be logical for him to follow Moxley's suggestion and join a brutal group that wants to take over the company. This would allow Hook to learn from the best in the business like Moxley, PAC and Claudio Castagnoli, and it would also give him exposure in AEW's world title scene.
Hook can return to his roots and squash wrestlers as a champion
He was at his best and looked unstoppable
- It was better if Hook didn't speak
- He gained a lot of momentum in his first year as an in-ring competitor
- Fans enjoyed seeing him dismantle his opponents
Hook worked best when he walked to the ring with concentration and no regard for whoever was facing him in the ring before giving them a beating and looking cool while doing it. There were no cheesy promos, slogans, or anything that exposed Hook's inexperience.
When Hook tells the world he wants to get back to his roots and starts crushing opponents and looking strong against some more established wrestlers, he can start to get his mojo back. A return to basics and what worked well could help. He could aim for the TNT Championship and go on a dominant run with the gold as well. His FTW title run was positive at first, but things went downhill when he argued with Chris Jericho.
Reuniting with Samoa Joe in the tag team division may save Hook
Hook needs the guidance of an experienced person
- Hook and Samoa Joe have a long history together
- Joe is the perfect mentor for Hook
- The tag team division could use some fresh faces
During his fights with Chris Jericho, Hook was in an alliance with Samoa Joe that worked pretty well and showed good chemistry between them. Whenever Joe returns to AEW programming, teaming up with Hook could be a surefire way to help Hook get back on track.
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A classic veteran mentor and a young tag team prospect could add something new and fresh to a difficult tag team division, allowing Hook to work with someone with a lot of experience and learn from them on the job.
