AEW Has A Potentially Serious Issue Regarding Star Power

AEW Has A Potentially Serious Issue Regarding Star Power

January 23, 2024
By Ryan Porzl

On New Years Day 2024, AEW celebrated their fifth year anniversary. Since it's launch in 2019, it has exceeded expectations in many ways and has had their share of success. Like any promotion, they've had their ups and downs. Perhaps, the promotion's biggest downs is their inability to build new stars to eventually replace the guys who have been on top the last five years and are getting older. Now, we're five years into AEW and despite that along with having nearly 200 wrestlers on the roster with Tony Khan having no plans to slow down anytime soon, the clock is ticking for AEW to build new stars and while the promotion won't go under anytime soon, it can affect their bottom line big time. Not to mention, it creates an atmosphere where young wrestlers will feel AEW isn't the place to become a star. Here, we'll take a look at AEW's roster both young and old and why AEW's issues regarding star power in becoming a big problem.

AEW has reportedly around 188 wrestlers under contract and their fanbase would say the promotion can boast having the best roster in wrestling history and they might not be wrong. Over the years, the promotion seemed to have everything in regards to talent be it the top stars of the present and the top stars of the future. Regardless of what year you're talking about, they always seemed to have a nice mixture of big names but young talent that could be molded into superstars and the future looked bright. However, fast forward to 2024, we're now five years into AEW and not much has changed. In 2019, the promotion's top stars were the likes of Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Jon Moxley with some added over the years while we were told how talent like AEW's "Four Pillars" in MJF, Jungle Boy, Sammy Guevara, and Darby Allin would be the wave of the future with other names added in. Now in 2024, the company still relies on the Omegas, the Jerichos, and the Moxleys still, if not, more than ever. Meanwhile, attempts to make young stars haven't worked out and of AEW's Four Pillars, only one has made it to the World Title (MJF) while the other 75% have failed to get out of the midcard.

When you look at AEW's current stars or guys who were established before coming in, you think of guys like Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Samoa Joe, Eddie Kingston, Claudio Castagnoli, Jon Moxley, Adam Copeland, Christian Cage, Kota Ibushi, and Bryan Danielson while the legendary Sting is a special attraction. In theory, this sounds like a great list of talent but the problem is each have some issue. Sting is currently on his farewell tour with his last match set to take place at the March PPV Revolution. Even though Sting isn't a top act like he was in WCW and TNA, he is still a special attraction and one who's retirement is selling a bunch of tickets. Bryan Danielson is slowing down and has also gone on record saying his full time wrestling career will end in 24. While Danielson intends to continue working, it'll only be a handful of times a year so they won't be able to rely on him as much. Not to mention, Danielson has repeatedly been bit by the injury bug. Chris Jericho is 53 years old with 33 years of mileage on his body. How much longer can he go? Not to mention, he's battled weight issues throughout his AEW run. Kenny Omega is 40 and his body is breaking down from the punishing style he's done in both AEW and previously in New Japan. Not only that, he was just diagnosed with diverticulitis which has put him out of action. With all this, how much longer can Omega go before his quality starts dipping? Samoa Joe, Eddie Kingston, and Claudio Castagnoli are all still great competitors but are all over the age of 40 with Joe on the verge of 45 so how much longer can they be relied upon as top attractions? Not to mention, Joe had injury issues in WWE. Both Adam Copeland and Christian Cage are 50 years old, both have a lot of mileage, and both have had serious health issues with Cage having concussion issues while Copeland had neck issues with both having periods of retirement. Jon Moxley is one of the younger top stars at 38 but he's on the wrong side of 30 and by his own admission, has the arthritis of a 70 year old man which means his style is taking a toll. Adam Cole is young at 34 but he's battled injuries and health problems during his AEW run including concussion issues and a broken ankle he broke in two places. Not to mention, many AEW critics have repeatedly brought up Cole's physique and how it's scrawny. There's also the soon to be arriving Will Ospreay who is 31 and considered the best wrestler in the world today. Unfortunately, he too has a physically demanding style in the ring and he's admitted it's somewhat beginning to take a toll. Ibushi was considered one of the best wrestlers in the world less than a decade but now, he too is in his 40s and his body has been fallen apart from injuries.

So, as you can see, AEW's current stars have issues and the time has long come to at least beginning setting up the next generation. In theory, AEW shouldn't have an issue as is with their top stars, they also have a lot of young talent to work with. The Four Pillars, Ricky Starks, Wardlow, Powerhouse Hobbs, Hook, Konosuke Takeshita, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and "Hangman" Adam Page. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, a lot. Some of the young talent have limitations while others have struggled with lousy booking. As mentioned, only one of the Four Pillars has made it to the main event in MJF while the other three haven't been able to take that next step. MJF has consistently been a top performer and even made it to the world championship. His only issues were the final months of his reign and some of the comedy segments he did. Darby Allin is talented and over but Sting's retirement might hurt him a bit as the two were paired up. Allin also is known for his risk taking style and bumping which could limit his career and shorten it. Sammy Guevara has had several chances to move up the ladder including TNT Title reigns and associations with Chris Jericho and Don Callis but nothing has worked and his constant rapid face/heel turns haven't helped. Worst of all, Guevara has been a bit of a PR nightmare including his comments wanting to rape Sasha Banks which saw him give his pay to charity for a few weeks and forced to undergo sensitivity training. He was difficult to work with regarding Impact Wrestling after being on loan from AEW as he refused to do what Impact wanted and then he proposed winning the X Division Championship and never losing it which Impact wasn't interested in so they decided not to use him. The issues strained AEW's relationship with Impact. His relationship with Tay Melo came out of something from Jerry Springer with both being married/engaged to others right around the time they began dating resulting in both being considered home wreckers and the AEW audiences booing them out of buildings until both were forced to turn heel. Finally, he got into two backstage fights with one against Eddie Kingston and the other with Andrade El Idolo. "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry has similar issues as he's been giving numerous chances to move up including a tag title run with Luchasaurus, an alliance and later rivalry with Luchasaurus and Christian Cage, AEW and IWGP Title matches on AEW PPVs, a repackaging, and a heel turn but nothing has really worked. Also, like Guevara, Perry is known for backstage issues as he was involved with one with CM Punk at All In which overshadowed AEW's biggest show and resulted in Punk getting fired and Perry getting suspended.

Ricky Starks was looked as a future superstar but has had several stop and go pushes and the promotion has failed to capitalize on his popularity despite given him matches with MJF and Punk as well as the men's Owen Hart tournament and a tag title run with Big Bill. Even worse is Starks is said to be a Cody guy and many believe he'll jump to the WWE once his deal expires. Powerhouse Hobbs is in a similar situation as he too has superstar potential but has had stop and go pushes including a weak TNT Title reign and a squash win over Jericho that wasn't followed up on. Not to mention, he's bounced around stables. Konosuke Takeshita looked like a star after turning heel and getting two wins over Kenny Omega in back to back PPVs only for AEW to do nothing to follow up making him ice cold. Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia are in a similar boat as they've gotten pushes, mostly with the ROH Pure Title and associations in big stables with Yuta in Blackpool Combat Club while Garcia in the Jericho Appreciation Society. Unfortunately, neither seemed to have caught on as Garcia still seems to be trying to put it all together while Yuta is a very good wrestler but lacks in pizazz and still comes off like a junior member of the BCC and not their equal. Hook has a lot of potential but he's still a bit green and not an AEW fault as he probably caught on too early before he was ready. "Hangman" Adam Page is a former world champion and his journey to the gold is usually considered the greatest story AEW has told to date. However, he was more entertaining as the hunter and not the hunted. He had a solid reign but I don't think it worked the way AEW hoped. Plus, he's since gotten some stink on him due to the CM Punk fiasco.

As for the women, it's a bit better but they too has issues with some bad booking while most others are due to injuries. Vets like Britt Baker, Thunder Rosa, Madison Rayne, Penelope Ford, and Serena Deeb have had their share of injuries and long lay offs. Others like Taya Valkyrie, Diamante, Kiera Hogan, and Mercedes Martinez seem directionless at times. Saraya has a history with severe neck issues and she's clearly never been the same since returning from her retirement. Riho is in and out of the promotion so it's hard for the promotion to do more with her and for the fans to fully get excited about her stuff. Deonna Purrazzo just debuted so it's a wait and see what she does. Ruby Soho is good but she seems to be banging her head on the ceiling as she hasn't gotten that big win in a tournament or championship match.

Then there's the up and comers who are already very good and have potential but health issues hurt them or bad booking. Kris Statlander has the tools to be a big star for AEW but she's not even 30 yet and already tore both her ACLs. Anna Jay and Tay Melo came off like great prospects in 2020/2021 but some would argue they regressed after joining the JAS in 2022 and both have had their share of injuries. Anna has had shoulder issues while Tay has had back issues and Tay is also on maternity leave. Jamie Hayter is another great talent and a former women's champion but she's been out long term due to a shoulder injury. Willow Nightingale hasn't had injury issues but has gotten cold as she went from feuding with Athena for the ROH Women's Championship and winning the women's Owen Hart Cup only to eventually fall by the wayside.

Now, does this mean all hope is lost for AEW? Of course not, thankfully. For one thing, AEW's worst case scenario is like WCW's was in the early 90s: They are funded and owned by a billionaire and as long as the billionaire wants to keep funding it then it's not going anywhere. As far as talent, they got plenty and most could be rehabilitated or perhaps others like MJF and Page would have bigger second runs as champion. Not to mention, the promotion does have talent right now that are catching on like Swerve Strickland, Julia Hart, and Skye Blue to name some. There's also plenty of free agents and wrestlers looking for their big break that they could always find and sign. If AEW can course correct on certain wrestlers while others can stay healthy then they have a very bright future but as of now, they have work to do and the last thing they want to do is have to build new stars after most or all their older ones are done.