Andrade strikes gold but at what cost
Look, I love Andrade El Idolo as much as the next guy who appreciates a crisp spinning back elbow that wakes you up faster than a 6 AM espresso. Watching him clinch the AEW National Championship against Mark Davis at AEW Redemption this weekend felt like a long time coming. The guy is a technician who makes the ring look like his personal living room, but the booking surrounding this title has been a rollercoaster with a broken safety bar.
Let’s call a spade a spade: this match was a banger. The Andrade versus Mark Davis clash had that visceral, stiff-as-nails energy that makes you sit up on the couch. Davis is a powerhouse, a guy who hits like a falling anvil, and pairing him with El Idolo’s lucha sensibilities created a beautiful contrast. It wasn't just a technical demo; it was a brawl that reminded everyone why we keep tuning in despite the occasional creative headache.
The AEW National Title identity crisis
Championships shouldn't feel like glorified props
Here is my gripe. We keep adding belts and titles as if painting a wall with gold spray paint makes the product more prestigious. Andrade is a world-class talent who should be fighting in the main event spotlight, not hovering in the mid-card churn of a championship that feels like it changes hands whenever the wind shifts. He’s carrying the company on his back in that ring, but he’s doing it with a strap that lacks a clear narrative trajectory.
Mark Davis played his part perfectly, looking like a legit threat right up until the final bell, but there’s a persistent issue with how these challengers are positioned relative to the title itself. You don't build prestige by hot-potatoing gold between guys who deserve better segments. It felt less like a monumental ascent for Andrade and more like a necessary consolation prize for being consistently over with the crowd while waiting for a turn at the top of the card.
Where does El Idolo go from here?
Now that he’s holding the hardware, the pressure is on. He’s arguably the best in-ring worker on the roster when he’s motivated, but this title reign needs a defined purpose. If the end goal is just having him trade wins for three months before the next pay-per-view, we’re wasting our time. I want to see him defend this thing against guys who can keep up with his pace, not filler feuds that serve no one.
We talk about belts making the fighter, but that only works if the fighter is granted the mic time and the storylines to make us care about the match stipulations. Right now, Andrade feels like a guy stuck in a holding pattern. He’s got the charisma, the look, and the moveset that gets a crowd roaring at capacity volume, yet the creative team treats his title potential like a mystery box.
Don't get me wrong, seeing his hand raised at Redemption was a highlight. The guy deserves every bit of the pop he got. But I’m tired of the stop-start momentum that defines the mid-card ladder. Give him a sustained run that actually means something beyond just changing the name on the graphics. Let him be the guy who defends the belt every single week, or lose the belt and put him back in the world title conversation where his resume says he belongs. Anything else is just spinning wheels.
