I think the biggest problem with the roster is that everyone is pushed, and then with the problem with that; is the follow up once the push is done. Or we'll push you for 3-6 months; but basically you end up in about the same spot you started. Best examples are guys like Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy. Darby's at least won the TNT title; but like he's hit his ceiling for about the past year. He's not going for the TV title or World title. Just in meaningless feuds to get to the next. Same with Orange Cassidy, you'd think he's won like every belt with the company based on how he's presented; but he hasn't won anything in AEW in 3 years. Or teams like Dark Order who are presented as a big deal, but never win on TV. Plus it's not like these characters have evolved that much either. Maybe that's nit picky, as AEW has done some good character work with some wrestlers... other just stay the same mostly.DougN wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:59 am I think everyone's got good/decent points here. One big thing I want to mention though is how a lot of champions this year seem weaker AFTER being champ. Hangman does not feel special anymore. Thunder is doing better now, but was definitely having a weak run early on and I would still not call her reign strong overall. Both Sammy and Scorpio came out of the TNT debacle worse than they went in. I think there's been too much of a focus on already established stars this year like your Adam Coles and CM Punks and MJFs and Moxleys and Danielsons, et cetera, as opposed to giving quality time to Hangman and others. And I know that they are the star power of the show, but the show had also done some surprisingly good numbers before this max influx of stars came in last fall. There's definitely a way to service both without overlooking one.
The only thing I don't agree with is complaining about the dead weight. It's one thing to complain about Lethal and Dutt being given so much air time in a gimmick/storyline that's not really working, but to just say AEW has so much dead weight and that they have no potential to even add anything is just ridiculous. You're always going to need guys on the low end, and you also never know when those guys can move up the card. And I really struggle with the classification of 2.0 as dead weight when they are getting more and more over and beloved. You can personally not like them, but they've definitely moved themselves up from the jobber role they were in at the start. Now, does AEW follow-up on that? Who knows? But calling 2.0 dead weight is absurd.
One more point I would bring up. I just don't understand why there isn't more thought or effort put into Dark. I'm not saying everything needs to matter on that show -- it can be primarily squash matches -- but there needs to be some storylines that go between the shows and the show SHOULD have some title defenses most weeks, especially since AEW keeps rolling out more and more belts. Dark exists in a vacuum as opposed to Dynamite and Rampage and it doesn't need to be that way.
Having a big roster is good; but at some point your giving up TV time to the Gunn Club/2.0/Sonjay, whomever ; instead of people like the Hangman, Miro, or the Young Bucks.