AEW's aging main event scene is becoming a problem

All Elite Wrestling has an amazingly stacked roster of performers. There’s a reason the saying that AEW is “where the best wrestle” is a widely accepted argument in the space. Still, there’s a growing concern about AEW’s main event picture. The concern is that the main event battle around the AEW World Championship is progressively involving more performers that are older. AEW has some of the best young performers in the business, but it’s making a mistake leaning on older names.

Jon Moxley is the most important performer on the AEW roster. Tony Khan has shown he can lean on Moxley to step in when the organization needs him to lead the way or fill in the gap if something goes horribly wrong with another performer. Moxley’s performance is worthy of such a position on the roster. Unfortunately, his current run as champion isn’t quite working and it is not his fault. Part of the conversation needs to point toward the advanced age of the other performers around him.

First, there’s the man known as Cope. Adam Copeland is 51 years old and he’s been standing as the next guy to face Moxley. This should be an eyebrow-raising situation, because why should someone who has been with the company less than a year want to suddenly be its greatest defender?

The situation gets worse from there. Why? Because the current guy standing in front of Cope is Ring of Honor World Champion, Chris Jericho. Fifty-four-year-old Chris Jericho. The same Chris Jericho who has held multiple titles and remains a frequent character on television week-to-week.

Then there’s Christian, who won the Casino Gauntlet Battle Royal at All-In, securing an immediate shot at the AEW World Championship when he decides. Oh yea, Christian is also 51 years old.

AEW is starting off the new year and a major streaming deal with a main event angle that currently involves three 50-year-old men. This is the same company that features powerhouses like Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, Swerve Strickland, and several others who should be orbiting the main event at all times. And that’s just scratching the surface. Individuals like MJF, Ricky Starks, Buddy Matthews, Darby Allin, Daniel Garcia, and several others are right there. AEW fans love the promotion because it has presented itself as a true alternative to WWE. Booking a main event around Copeland, Jericho, Christian, and Moxley isn’t proving that point.

Shifting gears in the face of criticism is something AEW has done well multiple times in the past. A shift is needed away from the older members of the roster to keep things fresh with the young names who can be the foundation for the organization’s future.