The Dark Order's "Exalted One" Brodie Lee has found himself a new recruiting tactic.Like any great cult leader, the AEW star is trying to capitalize on the tragedy of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and is using it to bring in followers. He issued his first plea Wednesday night on Dynamite, telling viewers at home: "We as a whole understand that during these trying, unprecedented [and] anxious times how you feel."
The move, while controversial, is an excellent way to get Lee over as the Exalted One. He describes during his promo how he once was lost and "downtrodden," while getting beat up along the way. Now, he stands before the AEW universe as the leader of the Dark Order, one of the most dominant factions in All Elite Wrestling.
Lee's comments appear to be the first time COVID-19 has been mentioned or used in a wrestling storyline since the pandemic began several months ago. The topic has been relatively off-limits in WWE, where superstars have not mentioned it other than to explain why there is no audience or events have been canceled. AEW, on the other hand, has decided to take a much different approach. And it's working to their benefit.
Rather than sweep the tragic events taking place around the world under the rug, the company has decided to interject them into promos. Lee touched upon the pandemic a second time later on in his segment while ripping a Dark Order member who yawned in front of him. He told him that nothing in the world is open and that there was no reason for him to yawn in his presence. Â It was a funny yet frighteningly real moment.
Later on during the show, Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks also mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic while discussing his injury and anticipated return to wrestling. He said that if there's something that people can learn from what's going on in the world now, it's that you can't take life for granted. It was a very poignant way of mentioning the pandemic, while also keeping things positive and optimistic.
This openness, especially about something as serious as the coronavirus, honestly feels like a breath of fresh air in the wrestling business. Too often do events outside the squared-circle get ignored or mentioned once and never again. These are real-life issues that people are dealing with, including the superstars. It only makes sense to incorporate them into the product. Because as wrestling fans know, the most authentic storylines and characters are almost always the most successful.