AEW boss Tony Khan publicly criticizes WWE

The difference between HOOK and Samoa Joe is that there's no history between the two. No storylines have led to the match, and the promo segment was the first fans were hearing about the potential storyline. On the other hand, Mahal and Rollins have clashed in the past. There have been storylines linking the two throughout the years.

Herein lies one of the biggest criticisms of AEW. Fans want matches to mean something. They want to be invested in long-term storytelling. They want to revisit feuds years down the line when everything has been forgotten about. Throwing together a title match in a haphazard promo segment isn't enough to entice a casual viewer and get them pumped up about a potential bout. 

Yes, AEW offers a better in-ring product. The wrestling on offer is certainly worthy of being "All Elite." However, the creative aspect of their approach is often found lacking. WWE thrives because of how easy it is for casual fans to miss an episode and still understand what is happening and why. As a company, WWE does a fantastic job in terms of accessibility. 

There's no doubt that HOOK is a budding star in AEW. His matches have been entertaining, and the company has been building him up for a bigger role. Yet, they're doing him no favors by making him cannon fodder for Samoa Joe and, most likely, adding a loss to his record so early into the year. 

Fans have a right to be displeased with how the championship match came about on AEW. The fact that Khan used it to take aim at WWE will only serve to further split the fan bases. That may or may not be a good marketing ploy. Time will tell.