Is AEW’s roster becoming overcrowded?
All Elite Wrestling continues to build a roster that has the potential to give fans dream matches, but some question if that lineup is becoming too bloated.
AEW has had one of the best rosters in the world of professional wrestling since starting in 2019. Since the company’s launch, Tony Khan has slowly added some of the best free agents the industry has available. As more names get signed and the realities around limited television time continue, some wonder if there’s too much talent on this stacked roster.
Fans have been growing concerned over recent months about the mass signings of wrestlers, which doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Huge names have been brought in over the last couple of months, such as CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and Keith Lee, all game-changers for the young company.
The first three names have settled in nicely in their new company. Danielson, Cole, and Punk provide essential segments on AEW Dynamite and Rampage. Keith Lee is the newest big signing, and he will be in a ladder match at AEW Revolution, which will determine who will face the TNT champion.
The challenge that AEW is facing is with so many talented performers on the roster, its becoming difficult to keep them engaged in ways that fans appreciate. AEW has done a strong job with rotating some names and storylines between Dynamite and Rampage. Plus, using factions is another tactic to get multiple names together on television. However, even those plays do not come without criticism.
Brian Cage is one such example of an individual that was a big-name signing but has fallen off the radar in AEW. Cage has the look of what many companies would want in a professional wrestler, and the capable in-ring abilities to fit in AEW’s style. Cage started out strong in AEW, but his recent lack of usage caused many to be surprised when his contract was extended for another year as reported by Fightful Select.
One of the most significant issues with AEW’s roster size is handling the women’s division. While it’s better than it was when AEW first started, they should be doing more to show everyone that they have the best women wrestlers in the world. The AEW women’s wrestlers aren’t given the proper television time to showcase their skills.
Can AEW keep this pace of free-agent signings?
Tony Khan Needs to take a step back and realize that he doesn’t need to hire every free agent wrestler that is out there to sign. While the big moment of surprise does draw a huge crowd reaction and excitement, there is reason to question if the company can find a way to properly utilize everyone on the roster. Examples such as Tony Nese and Jay Lethal stand out to fans who would like to see more of those two men utilized in structured ways.
All Elite Wrestling, in the eyes of most wrestling fans, is the best wrestling company in the world because they give wrestling fans precisely what they want every week. That includes signing some of the top talent that the industry has to offer. One of the big stories for 2022 is to watch how well the company uses some of these signings as fans continue to question if the roster is becoming too bloated.