Has Orange Cassidy in AEW reached his limit? How far can the AEW star go before he reaches his ceiling in AEW and is forced to realise that he cannot go any further? Let us know what you think in the comments after reading the article below.
Over the past three years since his debut at the first ever AEW event, Orange Cassidy has built up a surprising by justified following. In a promotion built on the incredible in-ring work of top wrestlers like Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and the like, Cassidy has managed to build a reputation as one of the most popular wrestlers on the roster, simply for his character work.
The company prided itself on being different to the WWE upon it’s launch. Unlike in WWE, the top wrestlers would be on top and the best workers in the ring would be given the chance to succeed, unlike in WWE where the character is more important than the wrestler.
This made the company something that a pure character like Orange Cassidy would not be able to succeed. He didn’t wrestle for months at the start of the company’s premier TV Show AEW Dynamite, instead accompanying Trent and Chuck Taylor to the ring during “Best Friend” matches. An odd take for a company built on great wrestling, but one that paid off in the end.
Does Orange Cassidy have a limit in AEW?
I don’t think Orange Cassidy does have a limit in AEW. The question of him having a limit obviously looks toward the idea of him being a main event talent in the company and ultimately if he can hold the AEW Championship.
Looking at the former point, we can confirm that he can be a main event talent. In fact, he already is. When questioning whether or not Orange Cassidy has a ceiling that he has hit already, you just have to look at the opponents he has faced so far in AEW.
He has had main event programs in AEW with a host of top stars, and has looked out of place in exactly none of them. He has fought Kenny Omega for the AEW Championship (in a match also involving PAC). He has had a multi-pay per view storyline battling Le Champion Chris Jericho, which showed a new side of Cassidy in the feud which he eventually won.
He was also part of the TNT Championship feud between Cody Rhodes and Brodie Lee. He had title matches against both men – including drawing with Cody Rhodes when the time limit expired just as he about to win the belt. Nobody said he wasn’t good enough then, or said he had a ceiling, they simply cheered on their favourite superstar hoping he would finally win gold in AEW.
In addition to these, he has been in a variety of feuds, each different than the last against wrestlers like Kip Sabian, Miro, Matt Hardy, Adam Cole, Santana & Ortiz and many more. His feuds have all been varied, and not just “oh he’s lazy” as many people online seem to assume every Orange Cassidy match is.
Will Orange Cassidy be AEW Champion?
When asking “will Orange Cassidy be AEW Champion?” the answer will always be “we don’t know”. However, if you were to ask could he become AEW Champion then I am inclined to say absolutely, Orange Cassidy can become the AEW Champion.
He showed in his feud with Kenny Omega that he could be a serious, main event character. His character has never just been that he “doesn’t care”. He is apathetic to a lot of things, but he has never not cared about a match he is in.
When he needed to, he tried just as much as he needed to. He showed this in the three way title match at Double or Nothing 2021. At the start of the match he stood stoic – hands in his pockets, sunglasses on and not engaging with his opponents. However, once he took the first hit from PAC and was brought into the match, he had as much intensity as anyone on the AEW roster.
Other critics say that he does not care about winning championships – that could not be further from the truth. He has consistently shown to care about winning titles in AEW, battling it out with the best of them for a shot at the AEW Championship.
He has appeared in multiple Casino ladders for a chance at a title shot. His first one, at AEW Double or Nothing 2020, he had some of the funniest spots ever seen in a ladder match, but at no point did he not try to win the match at a shot at the AEW Championship.
This included not knowing the match rules as he entered, asking the commentary desk how to win. He then failed to reach the casino chip (what he had to grab to win the match), before laying a ladder down sideways and trying again, failing hilariously.
In-ring work
When looking at Orange Cassidy, it is the character work which is usually the focus of the praise. However, anyone who has watched him in big matches over the past 3 years knows that he is one of the best in-ring workers in AEW.
While he does have his usual comedy spots – the shin kicks, hands in the pockets, rolling away from his opponent – Orange Cassidy in AEW in ring is so much more than that. For one, the incredible way he wrestles with his hands entrenched in his pockets it astounding. Wrestling is hard enough with both hands available, with none is downright amazing.
He has had some incredible matches that have been mentioned already, but one that needs watching is one of his most recent. Cassidy took on NJPW’s Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door in a match that took home the plaudits for a match of the night performance.
The match story was simple, as Ospreay showed much disrespect as he tried to beat down Cassidy as quickly as he could, showing no respect to his opponent. However, Orange Cassidy shocked Will Ospreay by giving all he could and almost beating the Kingpin, eventually falling to the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in spectacular fashion.
The match reinforced something that every OC fan knows – that on his day he is one of the best in-ring workers in AEW to match up with his flawless character work.
Orange Cassidy to WWE?
Despite fantastic character work and excellent in-ring ability, Orange Cassidy would not be a good fit for WWE. They have a history of not dealing well with more comedic characters, making it their entire character with the subtlety of a mallet to the face.
Orange Cassidy would not doubt be treated as a comedic, yet hapless, lower card face, continually beaten to get heat on midcard heels like Sheamus. Vince McMahon would certainly have no idea how to deal with such an original character as Orange Cassidy, and would probably rename him and make him wrestle weekly regardless of how much sense it makes.
I can’t see him wanting to move over anyway. Orange Cassidy to WWE would lose him the creative freedom he has over his character and the increase in wrestling dates would surely not make the extra money (if they would pay more than AEW) worthwhile.
It is within everyone’s best interest for Orange Cassidy to forgo WWE and stick with AEW, and hopefully battle for the AEW Championship some time in the near future.
