AEW missed an opportunity to give a new face some shine versus Bryan Danielson

It looks like Jack Perry is set to be the first man up to be the foil to Bryan Danielson as the new AEW World Champion. The current TNT Champion attacked Danielson on the August 28 episode of AEW Dynamite, kicking off what many think will be a feud to culminate in Chicago. While Perry’s presence in Chicago is bound to get a massive reaction, AEW continues to go back to the well of the same performers when the roster is packed with individuals that need to get an opportunity at some point.

Let’s look at the current landscape around the AEW title. Perry attacked Danielson on Dynamite. This is after defeating the current number-one contender at All In, Darby Allin. At that very show, Christian Cage won the AEW Casino Gauntlet match, securing a future title shot. That’s Cage, Allin, and Perry – three men who are consistently featured on AEW television. Cage was Swerve Strickland’s first contender. Allin has been a TNT Champion and is frequently in the main event scene. Perry is a part of The Elite, one of the main focal points for the promotion. When will someone else get a chance to step into the limelight?

This should have been one of those moments. Think about the positive fan reaction that could have come if AR Fox were the man to answer the challenge. A beloved, long-time performer like Fox getting an opportunity to battle Danielson would be huge. Wrestling fans, the fans that AEW cultivates, would tune in to watch that one thousand times over.

Or what if Big Bill answered him? Bill and Danielson have a history together in WWE that could have been played upon perfectly within an angle. Danielson was the last man that Bill faced off against before being released thanks to upsetting Vince McMahon. There’s a lot that could have been played upon in a brief, but interesting angle between the two men.

There are a lot of talented performers on the AEW roster. So much so, it’s an understandable belief that this is the best roster in professional wrestling. Hopefully, Tony Khan does better to leverage more of that roster for important opportunities on television, such as taking on Bryan Danielson as he holds the AEW Championship.