AEW: ‘Go to AEW’ may not work for everyone
Unhappy wrestlers have to make the moves that best fit their professional career
WWE is the biggest shark in the waters of professional wrestling, but that does not mean the promotion is invincible. All Elite Wrestling continues to build success on a weekly basis and can become a real threat to Vince McMahon’s powerhouse if he does not right the ship. The wrestlers on the roster notice this as well. Fans may respond with “Go to AEW” whenever there’s news of talent being unhappy. However, the verdict of whether that is always the right move is still up in the air.
FightFul revealed news on Friday that AEW matched an offer submitted to wrestling legend Rey Mysterio, who is currently performing for WWE without a contract. Signing a performer of Mysterio’s stature with 31-years of experience would be a massive get for the promotion.
In recent week’s we have seen several performers of previous promotions appear in the AEW ring. Ricky Starks and Eddie Kingston are two names from NWA. Tino Sabbatelli and Taynara Conti from WWE NXT made the leap in recent weeks, along with Rachel Ellering who is scheduled for next week. Of course, there is the bigger names as well like FTR, Matt Cardona, Shawn Spears, Chris Jericho, Brian Cage, and others. The list is continuing to grow.
Yet, the question is whether this is the right move for every person who is upset at their current position? As time goes on the “Go to AEW” response is not something that will fit everyone.
Let us look at names like Lance Archer or the previously mentioned Spears. Both individuals came into AEW with strong fanfare and right into feuds with Cody – one of the top names in the promotion. Both men were soundly defeated by him and relegated to lesser angles ever since. Spears is going through a rebranding of sort with Tully Blanchard, while Archer beats people up weekly. Each man consistently gets television time in some form each week.
https://twitter.com/DeonnaPurrazzo/status/1291026580370792451?s=20
In the eyes of some, frequent utilization in front of cameras is enough to justify looking for a change. Names such as KUSHIDA, Bo Dallas or even Mustafa Ali fully come to mind when thinking of individuals who have not been utilized of their abilities. Would making a jump help them? Possibly, but again, this is not an immediate answer regardless of how one thinks said person is being used by the WWE.
Excelling in other places
Take Deonna Purrazzo for example. She was apart of the WWE roster for two years and during that time she had 16 televised matches, none of which she won. According to Purrazzo it was relayed to her that she was not ready by their standards for extended television usage. Then April came and she was among the names released during cuts made by the WWE. Instead of jumping right AEW as many speculated, she landed in Impact Wrestling where she was immediately elevated to the title picture and won the women’s title at Slammiversary last month.
The move to Impact is proving to be the right decision for Purrazzo currently. In looking at the brewing controversy AEW faces with the usage of the women’s division, those who are looking for a change may not look at that promotion as quickly as others. The “Go to AEW” mantra would not work as well as them.
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Seeing big names jump from promotion to promotion is a major part of the professional wrestling industry. It was a fun part of the Monday Night Wars and that is spread to the battles held on Wednesday nights. With different routes for success, the catch all phrase of “Go to AEW” will never be the best route for every scorned performer.