I want to make a case for the Switchblade Jay White to become a singles champion in All Elite Wrestling. Not immediately, but eventually.
If you’re not a Jay White fan and like to say he wrestled 40 minute matches all the time I’m sure there’s something else you can read. I think someone is arguing about who gets their name and picture on an HTML table on a Wikipedia page somewhere, I think it’s called Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame discussion. Go play with those toys.
I would rather preach a bit to the choir because even Jay White fans have their doubts right now on if Jay is ever going to get to the top of the mountain. His run against Maxwell Jacob Friedman was complicated, and unfortunately brought some of the worst qualities out of White as well as had him struggle to make the program work.
I did a one year reflection where I said Jay White was being misused not wasted. We’re around the half way point of that and I would say he’s not being wasted and he’s definitely being used better. Turning him babyface was the right move, and having him feud with Hangman Adam Page ensures great matches and two men feuding with undeniable chemistry.
If anything, they need to be interacting more with each other. One gets a promo, one gets a run-in, I think we can do a little better. This is an upper midcard feud and I think both men will want to move into title contention once the program is over.
So if we’re putting gold on Jay White, what gold?
AEW Men’s World Championship
Let’s start with the big one. Could Jay White be AEW Men’s World Champion? Of course. To be honest he should have beaten MJF for the title back at Full Gear. He would have been a better champion than Samoa Joe. I know they wanted to get MJF into Long Island as champion. Having Jay actually stop Max at Full Gear and do the rematch at World’s End would have been a stronger story.
The problem right now for Jay White winning it is that with Jon Moxley as champion? There’s a clear story that it’s about the AEW Originals versus him and Jay is no Original. He could work as a TV title defence (Jay White beat Jon Moxley in the Continental Classic) but not as a pay per view defence or a guy to topple Moxley.
I don’t know how long Moxley is going to be champion but Jay would have to work up to be the man who beats the man who beats the man who beats Jon Moxley. That’s long term.
TNT Championship
The current situation with the TNT Championship is Jack Perry and what feels like a lot of the middleweight wrestlers underneath the World Championship level. Daniel Garcia, Adam Cole, even MJF seem to be situated for the TNT Championship right now. Jay White doesn’t really fit that at the moment.
But the idea of making Jay White a TNT Champion isn’t a bad one, since his best quality is his wrestling and having work every other show in TNT Championship defences would be good for him. It might just need some time to first work under guys like Daniel Garcia before it goes to him.
AEW Continental Championship
In the Continental Classic last year, Jay White was able to get to the semi final by tying with Jon Moxley and Swerve Strickland. Strickland had beaten Jay White, Jay White had beaten Jon Moxley, and Jon Moxley had beaten Swerve Strickland. It worked to do a three way match for the final spot in the Gold League. Jon Moxley would win that match. Swerve Strickland months later would win the AEW Men’s World Championship. Jay White would have the worst match in AEW for 2024 against Billy Gunn. Sigh.
Should Jay White return to the Continental Classic? I think he would be a favourite entering. He had a strong run last time and should at least make it to the semi final again. Making it through Kazuchika Okada would be tough, but I could see Jay in the final.
The problem is I think if Jay White is in the Continental Classic? So will Hangman Page be. And if Hangman Adam Page beats Jay White at Full Gear, even if their current program is 4-1, it’ll feel more like a 50/50 in recent pay per view matches. I could see World’s End coming down to Jay White and Hangman Adam Page to decide the 2024 Continental Classic winner, and the next AEW Continental Champion.
If that happened it could of course go to Jay White, but I’ve recently been pushing the idea of Hangman winning the Continental Championship and absolutely hating it. Essentially going full Tetsuya Naito when he was IWGP Intercontinental Champion. Having Page basically hate the fact he was now Continental Champion and disrespecting the title before every defence brings me joy, and would also be a good way to keep Hangman out of the world title picture until Moxley is no longer World Champ. So that leaves Jay out.
AEW International Championship
Konosuke Takeshita did just win the International Championship so I wouldn’t rush it. He should get a good run to cement himself as better than just the best midcard guy in AEW. Title defences outside of the company like in Maple Leaf Pro is good for him, and I think having him defend the title in New Japan Pro Wrestling is just around the corner. It’s good to give him time to be champion.
What’s also coming up is Grand Slam: Australia in February. Now before I anger anyone, I’m not doing the, “New Zealand and Australia is the same” thing, even though it’s funny to annoy people with it. “Wah it’s like saying Canada and the USA are the same” yeah everyone thinks that around the world. You get used to it. We ain’t the same countries but we’re definitely on the same shelf.
But what I could see is an AEW event in New Zealand close to Grand Slam: Australia, and that’s where I would book something like Jay White versus Konosuke Takeshita. You book something like that on a Dynamite or Collision before Grand Slam: Australia? That’s a perfect place to have Jay White win the International Championship. He could even defend it again at Grand Slam: Australia. Or I guess just put the match on Grand Slam: Australia and let the New Zealanders make the trip to Brisbane. I think it’s a four hour flight from Queenstown. I’ve heard of worse trips. Better hope AEW sets up a travel package.
I should add that in any of these scenarios? Jay White winning wouldn’t be happening in 2024. I don’t think that makes this year a failure. It was absolutely a failure when he was having to work with Billy Gunn, but AEW has done a lot to rehabilitate Jay White since he returned from injury.
He might not be a top guy like he was at times in New Japan Pro Wrestling but I think sitting him firmly in an upper midcard spot with potential to make him a champion is a great spot to be in for All Elite Wrestling. I would love to see the Switch King reach the goal and add singles championship gold to his resume, and whether it’s the International Championship, Continental Championship, or AEW invents a new title again and he wins that? It would be nice to see Jay White flash that gold in his entrance before I write Jay White: Year Two.
