The AAA Cruiserweight title belt isn't even warm yet
Usually, when a guy wins a championship, the writing team lets him have a couple of weeks to bask in the glory. Maybe do a photo shoot with the strap, beat up some jobbers, buy a new pair of boots. But not for Rey Fenix. The luchador sensation is already staring down the barrel of his first high-stakes defense.
We are looking at a title match scheduled for the June 12 episode of SmackDown that has the locker room buzzing. It feels like the bookers are running on triple-shot espressos. Putting the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship on the line this quickly is a bold move, maybe even a reckless one.
Why the rush to the ring?
There is a school of thought that you keep the belt on the talent to build mystery, but modern television requires a constant churn of content. If you aren't fighting, you aren't eating. Fenix understands this better than most, having built his career on being the guy who actually wants the smoke while others are busy negotiating their next contract.
Is it too much, too fast? Perhaps. We risk burning out the novelty of his championship reign before the fans even get a chance to chant his name during a proper entrance. When you book a title bout 48 hours after a title change, you are effectively telling the audience that championships are just props held while waiting for the next commercial break.
The technical fallout of the booking
Nobody watches Fenix for the promos where he talks about his journey to the belt. We watch for the 450 splashes and the dizzying speed that makes everyone else look like they are moving through molasses. If this match goes the distance, expect the pace to break the sound barrier. The real question is whether the SmackDown production team can keep up with him without missing the finish.
I have my reservations about this quick turnaround, though. If Fenix loses, the credibility of the AAA strap hits the floor harder than a botched moonsault. It would be a catastrophic waste of a title run that barely cleared customs. Sometimes, less is more, but WWE rarely leaves well enough alone when they have a hot commodity they can throw into the fire.
Ultimately, these choices define the current era of programming. It is all about the immediate pop. If you aren't creating a must-see segment every single week, the algorithms will bury you. I just hope the match actually gets time to breathe rather than being cut down by a 15-minute ad block for a laundry detergent brand. Keep your eyes on the screen, because if you blink, you'll miss the transition to the next corporate segment.
