Hello! Today, we’re looking at the story behind the inflating AEW roster since its inception. Every talent signing and release is here, although there are some additions/exemptions worth nothing. Why are we doing this? To see how the AEW roster has developed, and if there are any patterns. I won’t talk about every signing & release, but will cover anything I feel you may need to know. Also, I used The SmackDown Hotel database to decide who would be included, and you should know the following:
Need To Know’s
– Some backstage-only producers & coaches were not considered, including Dean Malenko, Jerry Lynn, B.J. Whitmer, Sonjay Dutt, and others.
– AEW does not always sign talents to contracts, but prominently uses them enough for me to add them. Matt Cardona is a decent example. He was never officially signed, but was used enough that he took up TV time until moving on to Impact Wrestling.
– There are many independent wrestlers who work episodes of AEW Dark & Dark: Elevation who aren’t here, but others are because they are recognized as working on these shows over the long term.
– Roster changes are valid from the first day of every month, except for January 2019. Because of this, there are some who did not make the list because they worked between the cutoff for 1-3 weeks. Here’s some (but likely not all) of those: Nicole Savoy, Maki Itoh, Laredo Kid & Konosuke Takeshita
– Also, there’s an argument to be made about crossovers from other major promotions appearing on this list. New Japan & Impact Wrestling are the two we think about the most, and here are some who were brave enough to step through the ‘Forbidden Door’: Minoru Suzuki, The Good Brothers, Kenta, Jeff Cobb, Nick Gage, Hikuleo & Tomohiro ishii
– Not a big fan of including one-off appearances, like Bret Hart, Juventud Guerrera, Eric Bischoff and others. This is about talent who are signed or were used for a while without being tied to another company. Let me know if I missed anybody out. Details are only as accurate as the database and my memory.
– I have placed a number in brackets next to each month. This tells us how many talents are part of the AEW roster (top management counts). I will let you know the difference between month-to-month, along with any significant moments in AEW history.
Page Links
January 2019 (11)
After the success of All In 2018, AEW was officially announced at midnight on January 1st, 2019. They confirmed the above names in the first few days, making this a unique batch of names. It’s hard not to include some of the February names, but the database suggests AEW confirmed these before them, so that’s what we’re going with here. Let’s not argue too hard about this. I just wanted a way to include January.
Added: Shahid Khan (Owner), Tony Khan (Owner/President/CEO), Cody Rhodes (EVP), Brandi Rhodes (CBO), Matt & Nick Jackson (EVPs), Hangman Adam Page, Christopher Daniels (Head of Talent Relations), Pac, Billy Gunn (Coach/Producer) & Frankie Kazarian
They all remain crucial in the day-to-day running of All Elite Wrestling. Hangman Adam Page is the only one to become AEW World Champion.
February (17)
AEW proclaimed six more names a week later. From these names, we can say that Chris Jericho, Britt Baker & MJF have excelled as stars.
AEW needed Jericho’s star power to legitimatize the company as the true alternative product. As the first World Champion, Jericho’s pivotal role will go down in history. It’s hard to imagine this new company having the same buzz had he not been there. Also, AEW would not be the same without Britt Baker or MJF. The others are still finding their feet, with Joey Janela having the most trouble.
Added: Chris Jericho, Britt Baker, Joey Janela, MJF, Penelope Ford, Scorpio Sky
March (25)
One month after AEW’s first press conference, they held a second on February 7th to sell tickets for the Double or Nothing PPV.
From here, AEW announced eight more names, including EVP and future World Champion Kenny Omega. This wasn’t a surprise to most people, but it was important to confirm. Sammy Guevara & The Lucha Brothers would never have imagined the success they are currently having. It was also confirmed that AEW had working relationships with Mexico’s AAA, and China’s OWE promotions.
Added: Kenny Omega, The Lucha Brothers (Fenix & Pentagon Jr.), Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent), Bea Priestley, Jimmy Havoc & Sammy Guevara
April (26)
We have to remember that AEW did not have a weekly TV show yet, and was only producing PPV specials. It spent the next two months preparing for Double or Nothing, although talks about a weekly TV show in May. Leading in to April, the company only signed one talent, as she moved over from Impact Wrestling (they “killed her off” in storyline) to increase the numbers in the women’s division.
Added: ‘The Bunny’ Allie
May (32)
With Double or Nothing airing on May 25th, management settled on a few more contracts. The most important being the inclusion of Jim Ross & Darby Allin. Dustin Rhodes didn’t come as a surprise, but former WWE announcer Justin Roberts more so. I’m still wondering if they are ever going to use Peter Avalon or Leva Bates for anything outside of Dark.
With 32 signed, AEW had the means to produce a quality PPV. Many critics loved the show and said AEW is the new alternative wrestling fans have been waiting for. Bret Hart introduced the AEW World Championship. The company was about to boom, as it prepared for Dynamite on TNT.
Added: Jim Ross, Darby Allin, Dustin Rhodes, Justin Roberts, Peter Avalon & Leva Bates
June (60)
Wow! This was one of the busiest months in the history of the AEW roster. It almost doubled in size! So many new names to cover as the company produced the shows Fyter Fest in June, and Fight For The Fallen in July. Getting Jon Moxley was a monumental moment. It told the world that former WWE Superstars could make the jump if they weren’t happy. Orange Cassidy, all three members of Jurassic Express, and Hikaru Shida, proved to be massive signings as well. Riho would become the first AEW Women’s Champion. Nyla Rose was the first openly transgender wrestler to sign with a major company. There’s so much going on here, so let’s move on before we get lost.
Note: I started arranging talent names in alphabetical order, and this was purely to save me some time.
Added: Alex Abrahantes, Alex Marvez, Angelico & Jack Evans (Hybrid 2), Awesome Kong, Brandon Cutler, CIMA, Emi Sakura, Evil Uno & Stu Grayson (Dark Order), Excalibur, Hikaru Shida, Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen (Private Party), Jon Moxley, Jungle Boy/Luchasaurus/Marko Stunt (Jurassic Express), Kip Sabian, Kylie Rae, Michael Nakazawa, Nyla Rose, Orange Cassidy, Riho, Sadie Gibbs, Shawn Spears, Sonny Kiss & Yuka Sakazaki
Wait?! Where’s July? I have some news for you. There is no July, because AEW made no talent signings or releases that month. It is one out of only two times this has happened. At least, from what I can gather.
August (61)
Leading in to August, it was announced the next PPV would be called All Out. At the show, Chris Jericho became the first AEW World Champion, and the Women’s Championship was unveiled. The company was still waiting on its weekly TV show. In recent times, having only seen Tully Blanchard on Impact Wrestling managing his daughter Tessa, the Four Horseman legend debuted with AEW as a manager.
Added: Tully Blanchard
September (64)
September was significant because AEW officially announced the date for the first episode of Dynamite on TNT. While adding a few more names, like the Inner Circle’s Ortiz & Santana, the month is also known for the first AEW talent to leave. Kylie Rae had a lot of support from fans, but she struggled with her mental health and the company was amicable with her release. She moved on to Impact Wrestling, and now works for the NWA.
Added: Big Swole, Ortiz & Santana, Alex ‘Goldenboy’ Mendez
Removed: Kylie Rae
Oh snap, there’s no October? That’s right, 2019 had two months of no signings or releases. You know what that means? There’s activity for every month from now on.
However, October is more important because Dynamite debuted with a viewership of 1.4m, beating WWE NXT’s 891k. The ‘Wednesday Night Wars’ began. By the end of the month, Riho was the new Women’s Champion, and SCU’s Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian were the new Tag Team Champions. Also, AEW introduced their second show, a new YouTube series called ‘Dark’. This gave many talents struggling to get on Dynamite a platform to work, improve, and impress.
November (72)
With Dynamite in full swing, and Full Gear around the corner, AEW did not slow down with its talent signings. The voice of TNT, Tony Schiavone, joined Jim Ross & Excalibur at the commentary table. Jake Hager would be introduced as a heavy for Chris Jericho, while QT Marshall would later develop the training facility called the Nightmare Factory. The Dark Order was building up with new arrivals: John Silver & Alex Reynolds. And then there’s Jamie Hayter, who you should keep in the back of your mind, because she will be brought up again later.
Added: John Silver & Alex Reynolds (Dark Order), Anthony Ogogo, Jake Hager, Jamie Hayter, QT Marshall, Shanna & Tony Schiavone
December (76)
Neither November nor December were eventful, but there were some interesting signings. AEW would quickly pair Wardlow up with MJF as his bodyguard. Allie found herself with husband Braxton Sutter (The Blade), who partnered with The Butcher to add more depth to what was an already incredible tag team division.
Kris Statlander is arguably the most popular signing of this group, although it took a long time for her to be noticed. The Rock praised Dasha Gonzalez for her work, after being let go by WWE for having “too much personality” to interview their superstars. Although Jamie Hayter was quietly released, don’t forget about her.
Added: Dasha Gonzalez, Kris Statlander, The Butcher & The Blade, Wardlow
Removed: Jamie Hayter
76 added to the roster in the first calendar year. How will AEW do as it heads in to 2020 with the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic?
January 2020 (79)
Looking back, many fans may have forgotten how groundbreaking the signing of Arn Anderson was. He worked backstage in WWE for many, many years, so for somebody like him to jump ship was monumental. His vast experience as a producer and coach is hard to find. Having Arn Anderson on TV gave AEW another loose connection to WCW’s time on TNT, which is good or bad depending on who you ask.
Then there’s Taz, who fans welcomed back to mainstream TV. I wasn’t a big fan because of his Impact run (he stopped caring after a while), but has since proven his worth as the manager of Team Taz.
Added: Arn Anderson (Coach), Taz, Mel
On January 15th, AEW & WarnerMedia announced a $175 million contract extension for Dynamite, along with an upcoming second show. This gave AEW the security it needed to become a mainstay on a major network for years to come.
February (82)
A pretty quiet month for talent signings. Billy Gunn got his son a job, Lexy Nair is still around as a backstage interviewer, and Luther has done little of anything since his brief program with Chris Jericho.
Added: Austin Gunn, Lexy Nair & Luther
March (83)
With the release of CIMA, it was confirmation that AEW was no longer working with OWE. However, the far more interesting developments were the additions of New Japan’s Lance Archer, who they had built up considerably in 2019. Then there’s Colt Cabana, who is a certified veteran, but he perhaps hasn’t made as big of an impact as some were hoping. Bringing in Lance Archer was encouraging because New Japan enjoyed cross promoting their IWGP United States title. However, he needed a legend to introduce him to a new audience.
Added: Lance Archer & Colt Cabana
Removed: CIMA
The end of March marked the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Crowds were no longer allowed, and many wrestlers feared for their jobs. While WWE released superstars & staff en masse, management gave the AEW roster the promise they would be taken care of, and they kept their word.
April (88)
By the end of March, AEW added six new wrestlers and released one announcer. Goldenboy had made little impression, so that is likely the reason they let him go. Meanwhile, AEW kept on building its roster with the additions of Broken Matt Hardy, Mr. Brodie Lee, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts serving as Lance Archer’s manager.
Management were keen to pick up on some of WWE’s released talent, but it didn’t get anywhere near as many as it could have. With Brodie Lee taking over the Dark Order from Evil Uno & Stu Grayson, the stable began recruiting more, including Colt Cabana.
Added: Jake Roberts, Matt Hardy, Mr. Brodie Lee, Preston ’10’ Vance, Serpentico & Shawn Dean
Removed: Goldenboy
May (93)
Despite losing millions from the cancellation of live events, AEW signed five new wrestlers. Leading in to May, they picked up two future Dark Order members, a potential for the Nightmare Factory, a mainstay for Dark, and a comedic follower of Britt Baker. No, they weren’t big signings, but they have all done their best in their roles.
Added: Alan Angels, Anna Jay, Baron Black, Lee Johnson & Rebel (not Reba)
June (98)
Guess what? AEW is not letting up with its signings. This time, it’s the former Impact World Heavyweight Champion Brian Cage, and FTR, WWE’s first Triple Crown Tag Team Champions. After Matt Hardy & Brodie Lee, AEW picked up another surprising release in the Revival, who many saw as one of WWE’s best teams.
FTR changed the division, because AEW now had a team who weren’t fishing for high spots. They work a more serious, technical and brawling style which mirrors The Young Bucks or the Lucha Brothers. There’s more depth, and adding Tully Blanchard as their manager was the icing on the cake. Many fans were wondering if AEW would ever let up on all these signings, but let me promise you something. It won’t.
Added: Brian Cage, Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood (FTR), John Skyler & KiLynn King
July (103)
While recent months handed the spotlight to former WWE Superstars, the summer was all about fresh faces. Ricky Starks, Red Velvet & Brian Pillman Jr have all had varying levels of exposure. The NWA lost something special with Starks, and you can’t get much of a better compliment than being compared to The Rock. I’m a big fan of Abadon, but she doesn’t get used much on Dynamite or Rampage, so the inconsistency hurts her potential.
We’ve reached the 100 mark! Just how much bigger can this roster get?
Added: Abadon, Brian Pillman Jr, Fuego Del Sol, Red Velvet & Ricky Starks
August (110)
Excuse me?! Yes, Vickie Guerrero is still a heat magnet. Fans assumed Matt Cardona was a guarantee to be signed, but he must not have impressed management enough to offer him a contract. He’s included here because AEW used him for a while, but was never officially “Elite”.
Eddie Kingston was the biggest signing. I already knew how good he was, but I never could have imagined how over he’d become in AEW. He absolutely deserves a contract, and I could not be happier for him. Even more so after he shared his life story, which I highly recommend checking out if you haven’t already.
Added: Aaron Solow, Diamante, Eddie Kingston, Griff Garrison, Ivelisse, Matt Cardona & Vickie Guerrero
September (112)
AEW was the first wrestling company to allow fans to attend events, provided they followed all the COVID-19 rules and guidelines. The end of summer 2020 saw a shift in AEW’s women’s division. After much hype in 2019, AEW signed Sadie Gibbs to a contract, but an incident with Bea Priestley at All Out led to an actual fight which had to be broken up.
They did not use Gibbs after that, while Priestley popped up here and there. AEW finally felt it was time to let them go and replaced them with former NXT star Tay Conti and NWA Women’s Champion Thunder Rosa. Both have enjoyed much success, well… as much as you can without winning the women’s title. The other signings are guys who remain on Dark.
Added: D3, Mark Sterling, Ryzin, Tay Conti & Thunder Rosa
Removed: Sadie Gibbs, Bea Priestley, Jimmy Havoc
In June, following the #SpeakingOut movement, it was alleged that Jimmy Havoc had a history of assaulting a fan, domestic abuse, and rape. Havoc admitted to having issues with drinking and substance abuse, agreeing to attend counselling and rehab. AEW later released him in August, and there is no further news after he left the wrestling business. Havoc was the first long-time wrestler to be released before the expiry date on his contract.
October (116)
There’s some power behind these signings, most notably Miro & Will Hobbs. We could say that Miro, formerly known as Rusev, was one of the most shocking WWE releases of 2020. AEW continued taking women away from the NWA by signing Serena Deeb. As some might remember, Matt Sydal had a debut he’d love to forget, as the first thing we saw him do was botch his Shooting Star Press. Over the past year, Miro has become the TNT Champion, and Hobbs is developing nicely under the mentorship of Taz.
Remember Matt Cardona? Yeah, he left for Impact. MJF’s representative Mark Sterling is gone too, but maybe we’ll see him again?
Added: Alex Gracia, Cezar Bononi, Matt Sydal, Miro, Serena Deeb & Powerhouse (Will) Hobbs
Removed: Matt Cardona & Mark Sterling
November (122)
It’s another month of fresh faces, with the Top Flight tag team getting a ton of praise. ‘Legit’ Leyla Hirsch added another layer to the women’s division. I think Darius Martin is injured, but Dante is now teaming with Lio Rush. Hirsch challenged for the NWA Women’s title at EmPowerrr, but I have not seen her since. The other guys are alright. I can’t promise them any major success, although I think Nick Comoroto is physically striking.
Added: Danny Limelight, Dante & Darius Martin (Top Flight), Leyla Hirsch, Nick Comoroto & VSK
December (129)
We’re getting in to the festive period of 2020 with signings which divide opinion. The Acclaimed? They are like marmite. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Jade Cargill? Man, she is mega athletic with a disappointing lack of experience. Then you have Hook, son of Taz, and Colten Gunn (left), son of Billy, who we have to question whether they would be there without their fathers.
Speaking of which, Devon Dudley got his boys a job as well. What is this?! Get your sons an AEW contract for Christmas month? Holy nepotism. Do you know what’s funny? None of them have done anything worthwhile all year. You might have the genetics, but talent is not always passed down the family tree.
Added: Anthony Bowens & Max Caster (The Acclaimed), Colten Gunn, Hook, Jade Cargill, Terrell & Terrence Hughes
January 2021 (134)
Let’s change the tone for a moment. Do you know what the end of 2020 means? The tragic passing of Brodie Lee. The only man to be removed from the roster in a way nobody in the world wanted. AEW handled it as well as they could have, which affected future signings. The biggest addition here, no matter what, is Brodie Lee Jr. It’s not a competition I know, but while Sting’s debut was one of the greatest AEW has ever seen, bringing Brodie Lee Jr in to the family was a moment fans will remember forever.
Added: Ashley Vox, Bear Boulder & Bear Bronson, Brodie Lee Jr, Don Callis, Madi Wrenkowski, Sting
Removed: Brodie Lee (RIP), Shawn Spears
February (135)
Who is this cheap Dolph Ziggler knockoff? Oh yeah, it’s his brother Ryan Nemeth. This is the quietest month for signings since 2019. What more can I say? Let’s move on.
Added: Ryan Nemeth
March (141)
Aside from Paul Wight wanting “no more BS”, again, there’s not much to say about this month. AEW brought in some women to compete in a tournament, including Ryo Mizunami, who I think is painfully overlooked. In case you don’t know, Renee Michelle played Drake Maverick’s wife (they are actually married) on WWE Raw. Matt Sydal brought in his brother Mike so they could work as a tag team. What’s with family members getting jobs in AEW? It’s crazy.
Added: JD Drake, Mike Sydal, Miranda Alize, Paul Wight, Renee Michelle & Ryo Mizunami
AEW introduced a third show called Dark: Elevation. It’s much like Dark, although more likely to have major stars showing up.
April (143)
This is a great month! Christian Cage made an impact, not just in AEW, but by cross promoting as the Impact World Champion. WWE didn’t want to use him, so he went elsewhere and has done so very well. I think it’s great how he mentors Jurassic Express. He’s not just doing this for himself.
Shawn Spears returned after a short while away, and finally got recognized as somebody worthwhile in MJF’s Pinnacle stable. Then there’s Ethan Page, one of the longest reigning tag team champions (with Josh Alexander) in Impact history, wanting to prove he was better than that.
Added: Christian Cage, Ethan Page, Shawn Spears, Delmi Exo
Removed: Alex Gracia & Miranda Alize
The AEW roster is stalling out around the 140 mark. It’s not signing in the volume it previously was, and is only taking big signings if they are must haves. Will this continue, though?
May (144)
Who, who, and who? You might have seen Skye Blue on a recent episode of Dynamite (or Rampage?), but the other two were not around very long. It’s a quiet month, but if Skye Blue ends up getting over, at least that’s something for the future of AEW’s women’s division.
So you know, John Skyler was released and moved on to Impact. Ivelisse was more controversial. She has gone on record to say she was unfairly dismissed, but many say she is difficult to work with, so you’ll have to believe who you want. Ivelisse & Thunder Rosa clearly didn’t get along.
Added: Marty Casaus, Willow Nightingale, Skye Blue
Removed: John Skyler & Ivelisse
June (147)
It’s yet another quiet month. Almost immediately, Lio Rush backtracked on joining AEW. Konnan works mostly backstage as a producer. As far as I know, Julia Hart is not related to the Hart Family. Remember Mark Sterling? He’s back! Only this time he is “Smart Mark”, a manager who desperately wants to sign Jade Cargill. He got his wish, eventually. Sadly, AEW either didn’t feel like keeping Ryo Mizunami, or she wanted to go home.
Added: Julia Hart, Konnan, Lio Rush, Smart Mark Sterling & Robo (Jora Johl)
Removed: Ryo Mizunami & Marty Casaus
July (144)
EL IDOLO! Of course, Andrade would find his way to AEW. Will Charlotte Flair join him one day? Let’s wait and see. I reserve judgment on Brock Anderson & Wheeler Yuta, but they are far from terrible. Also, something huge happened this month, aside from introducing AEW Rampage on Friday nights.
The AEW roster got smaller! It has three fewer names compared to June. How could this be?! AEW doesn’t release talent that much, do they? Actually, yes, it happens, but people don’t make as much of a fuss about it. I’m most disappointed by the release of Shanna, although the women’s division has come a long way since 2019, so she’s no longer needed.
Added: Andrade El Idolo, Brock Anderson, Wheeler Yuta
Removed: Awesome Kong, Danny Limelight, Delmi Exo, Lio Rush, Shanna & Willow Nightingale
August (142)
For the second and last time (so far), AEW’s roster shrunk! You probably wouldn’t notice though… because they got rid of talent who weren’t doing anything worthwhile. In their place, Chavo Guerrero paired up with Andrade, while Malakai Black brought the gimmick he wanted to use in WWE to TNT. Again, management was getting in to a habit of signing recently released WWE superstars, although you could say Impact Wrestling is far more guilty of this practice.
Added: Malakai Black & Chavo Guerrero
Removed: Ashley Vox, Mel, Terrell & Terrence Hughes
September (150)
Are you ready for a boom period? CM Punk is here, along with Mark Henry, the guys formerly known as Ever Rise, and several others. Remember when I told you to remember Jamie Hayter? She’s back! And sets the record for longest time between stints in AEW. Kiera Hogan was a little surprising because she was heavily used in Impact. The less said about Dan Lambert the better. We don’t need to give him any special attention.
Added: CM Punk, Dan Lambert, Daniel Garcia/Matt Lee/Jeff Parker, Kiera Hogan, Mark Henry, Kiera Hogan, Jamie Hayter, Kayla Rossi & Lulu Pencil
Removed: Renee Michelle & D3
Why the sudden increase in talent? You tell me. Adding Rampage is only another hour, so I’m not sure why AEW keeps signing when it’s clear they aren’t using half the roster on that show or Dynamite. Maybe you can clue us in to why?
October (160)
Another huge batch of signings, only a month after CM Punk shocked the world. Bryan Danielson is here. Adam Cole is here, baybay! Ruby Soho is at home. Even Lio Rush is back and looking to stay. AEW picked up on former NXT & 205 Live talents, like Tiger (Arturo) Ruas, Curt Stallion and August Grey.
This is the single biggest example of AEW picking up superstars who WWE doesn’t want. Is it a good thing? Are they doing this just to evaluate how good some of the lesser superstars can be for them? Either way, reaching the 160 mark is a little worrying. Some wrestlers have got to be wondering… I’m lost in the mix here, but at least I can work on the independents.
Added: Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, Ruby Soho, Tiger Ruas, Anthony Greene, LSG, Lee Moriarty, Lio Rush, Santana Garrett & Stallion Rogers
November (164)
The month isn’t over yet, but how great is it to see Jay Lethal? Not long after ROH announced it would close its doors to focus on revamping its product and procedures, it left the roster out of work. Like I said before, leaving Jay Lethal on the sidelines would be criminal. He is a supremely talented wrestler, along with having the charisma to back it up. After he’s earned it, Lethal deserves much success on TNT.
Then we have Bobby Fish, who we know is getting old, but he’s a good hand to teach some of the younger talent. The relationship with Adam Cole, as former members of NXT’s Undisputed Era, guarantees he will always be in the mix, even if he’s not wrestling. Then there’s Tony Nese, former WWE Cruiserweight Champion. I’ve always been a fan, but I wonder if AEW can make him more of a character. Ariya Daivari is reliable, much like Fish, but I can’t imagine him getting any further than he is.
Added: Bobby Fish, Tony Nese, Ariya Daivari & Jay Lethal
With a roster comprising 164 names, and only 3 hours of airtime on Dynamite & Rampage, it feels like AEW will have to think about letting some go soon. It can’t keep signing talent in this way, because eventually, it will have to do what WWE has been doing since April 2020. Although, the difference between AEW & WWE is that it allows wrestlers to work elsewhere, so they can provide for themselves and families.
Conclusion
It’s crazy how the roster has grown. When you think about how it was in 2019 to what it is now, there are many more former WWE Superstars. However, none of them are champions in AEW. Look at the list. We have Hangman Page, Britt Baker, the Lucha Brothers & Sammy Guevara. What most people point out, though, which is perfectly valid, is that Cody, Jericho and others said AEW would not become another TNA by signing so many former superstars. However, could you ever imagine WWE releasing as many talents as they have?
WWE was hoarding all the names it could, so no one could have them. Even if they weren’t planning on using them, it would keep them on because they could afford it. They probably could still pay for that if they really wanted, but it’s not good business sense. It’s not the only game in town, so you can’t play those same games anymore. Talent have an alternative, so they aren’t as desperate to sign, not unless the money is ridiculous. So WWE changed their philosophy, not because they can’t afford it, but because it no longer holds that advantage over every other wrestling company.
However, I’m worried about Tony Khan’s recent comments about profit.
“Anyone who signs a contract (in WWE) these days, is not signing a real contract. It’s a temporary arrangement. People who come wrestle with me, a lot of these people are frankly lifers and they know that. There are some people who are here, who work really hard and there are some people who come in and work more than really hard and I feel like is their actual life and will be with me for the rest of my life. I don’t know if everybody who works for my competition can say that. I think there are people who work there and they aren’t sure they will be there next week.
“There is a lot more security with a contract here. I can’t say I’m going to extend every contract or bring every person back, but I also haven’t been doing mass layoffs. I’m not the most profitable company of all time, I don’t brag about being the most profitable company of all time. I do brag about bringing in a lot of revenue for a start up and being a real success story.
Promotions like WCW & ECW did not try hard enough to focus on profit margins, and where are they now? You should not be admitting to a lack of profits. Fair enough, you have Shahid’s fat pockets to back you up if something goes wrong, but any solid business should provide for itself. AEW should put all of its efforts in to making it as profitable as possible. I don’t think signing hundreds of wrestlers for a show which could be produced with half of that is logical. He says many of the signings are “lifers”, which again, it sounds like he isn’t ruthless enough to cut people for the sake of the company.
There will come a point when the numbers mean more than the individuals. He wants to make this a family affair, but do you think Vince McMahon built WWE on that philosophy? There’s a genuine concern here. While Tony is admirable in the way he wants to take care of everybody, he has the job of ensuring the growth of profit margins. How can it ever challenge WWE if it struggles with that? It never will, when that should be the aim. If you want to be dangerous, you need to do what WCW couldn’t do. You need a business mind which sure, take care of your employees, but don’t overdo it. If the AEW roster continues to grow at this rate, it will be unsustainable. The negative effects will become more apparent.
I’m a big fan of WWE, AEW, and professional wrestling. Having this alternative is super healthy for the fans and talent, and it should remain so for decades to come. As AEW grows, it is important to take the right steps. Don’t overstep your bounds and recognize when you’re taking too much out of an opportunity. WWE handed you all these talents on a plate, which doesn’t mean you should feed too hard on that. There’s already enough homegrown “pillars” AEW could live off for years.
Maybe I’m wrong? Do you think AEW should calm down with its signings? Or should they keep going? Who would you bring in, if anyone? With that said, I hope you enjoyed this, and I thank you very much for reading! See you again soon.
Also Read: Wrestling With Stress, Judgment, Escapism & Mental Health
