Grab the popcorn because the internet is officially split down the middle
If you have spent any time on wrestling Twitter or Reddit over the past 24 hours, you know the absolute anarchy taking place right now. AEW dropped the official cold open for tonight's AEW Redemption pay-per-view at the Bell Centre in Montreal, and the internet reacted with all the calm and restraint of a rabid dog staring at a steak. Some people are calling it an all-time cinematic masterpiece, while others are convinced Tony Khan is out here over-producing videos instead of fixing his weekly TV pacing.
Look, cold opens in professional wrestling are an art form. When WWE used to pair prime Nu-Metal with video packages back in 2001, it felt like gladiators preparing for war. AEW tried to tap directly into that raw, chaotic energy for tonight's Montreal debut, but the fan reaction proves that you simply cannot please everyone in 2026. The online discourse has quickly devolved into three distinct camps, and every single one of them is screaming at the top of their lungs.
The hype machine enthusiasts: absolute cinematic art
On one side of the room, you have the AEW diehards who think this video package deserves an Academy Award nomination. The production team leaned heavily into Montreal's rich wrestling history while highlighting the sheer absurdity of tonight's card, and for a lot of fans, it hit every emotional beat perfectly.
Writing on Reddit shortly after the video dropped, one hyped user summarized the general consensus among believers: "The hype for Redemption is insane. Seeing Kenny Omega back on top of the world title scene while Montreal gets its first-ever AEW PPV is giving me 2021 vibes all over again."
And honestly? They have a point. When you look at what is actually scheduled for tonight's main card, the match lineup is ridiculous on paper. You have Kenny Omega defending the AEW World Championship against Kevin Knight in a match that promises pure workrate perfection. You have Adam Copeland and Christian Cage teaming up as AEW Tag Team Champions to face the terrifying duo of Claudio Castagnoli and PAC. If that doesn't get your blood pumping, you might actually be clinically dead.
The skeptical contrarians: sleek video packages can't hide booking flaws
Then, of course, you have the contrarians. These are the fans who refuse to get swept up in slick editing, lens flares, and dramatic voiceovers. For this segment of the audience, a shiny hype video is just lipstick on a hog if the underlying build felt rushed or disjointed heading into the weekend.
One critical forum poster laid out the skeptic perspective perfectly: "Cool video package, but let's be real for a minute. Why is Painmaker Chris Jericho in a No Holds Barred match against Tommaso Ciampa in 2026? We are still doing Jericho legacy feuds while younger guys are stuck in a crowded ladder match?"
That criticism lands like a stiff forearm to the chest. While the cold open does a fantastic job making every match feel like a life-or-death struggle, it cannot completely erase the questionable build for certain midcard feuds. Putting Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley together as a tag team against The Young Bucks sounds like a fever dream video game match, but the narrative path to get here felt more like a frantic game of booking roulette than a slow-burn storyline.
The breakdown: who actually has the stronger argument?
So, which side is right? Is this cold open a brilliant piece of promotional wizardry, or is it masking structural issues on the card? As someone who has watched thousands of hours of pro wrestling hype packages, the truth sits right in the middle, but the enthusiasts clearly have the stronger case this time around.
Wrestling pay-per-views are ultimately judged by match execution, not just the three-week television build. AEW's strength has always been delivering when the bell actually rings. When you stack a card with Kyle Fletcher defending the International Title against Bandido, Hikaru Shida battling Maya World for the TBS Championship, and a chaotic multi-man Ladder Match featuring Speedball Mike Bailey, AR Fox, and Komander, you don't need a 6-month Shakespearean storyline. You just need to let the athletes cook.
The skeptic complaint about Chris Jericho holding onto main-card real estate is entirely valid—nobody needs to see the Painmaker gimmick resurrected for the hundredth time when fresh talent is desperate for airtime. But discounting the entire pay-per-view because of one legacy spot is missing the forest for the trees. The hype video accomplished its exact goal: it created buzz, got people arguing online, and drove home the historical significance of AEW finally touching down in Montreal.
Setting expectations before the bell rings in Montreal
At the end of the day, cold opens are meant to sell a feeling. They are the pre-game speech before you run through the tunnel. AEW Redemption arrives at a fascinating time for the company, balancing established veteran star power with an explosive new generation of workrate gods.
Whether you are tuning in through HBO Max or traditional pay-per-view, tonight's event carries massive stakes for the second half of 2026. If Kenny Omega vs. Kevin Knight delivers the instant classic everyone expects, nobody is going to remember a minor debate over video package pacing. But if the show stumbles under its own bloated match card, those Reddit skeptics will be waiting with their receipts in hand.
The debate is over; now it is time to see if the action inside the Bell Centre can live up to the slick corporate presentation.
