Worst Things About AEW That Need More Discussion

When AEW was established in 2019, its founders made a lot of big promises that they failed to deliver on. Wrestling fans were promised a sports-based wrestling product that would be an alternative to WWE's style of sports entertainment. Instead, AEW became an alternate version of WWE that caters to the hardcore audience. The promotion began repeating mistakes that WWE's former competitors WCW and TNA made; continuously taking shots at WWE, signing too many ex-WWE talent, airing a TV show on the same day as a WWE show; AEW did it all.

Whenever WWE does something unfavorable, like misusing a wrestler, the company always gets called out by fans on social media. But, since AEW is Teflon with a lot of people, it always gets a free pass from its viewers. AEW isn't perfect by a long shot, and the worst things the promotion does need to be talked about more often.

10 Match Rules And Officiating

Rules are necessary in professional wrestling, like every other sport, to make things fair and safe for performers. Referees are tasked with enforcing those rules and making sure that the rightful wrestler/s emerge victorious in a predetermined bout. When a wrestler attacks his opponent with a foreign weapon in front of the ref, they're supposed to be disqualified.

When a wrestler stays out of the ring for far too long, they should get counted out. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in AEW. In some tag team matches, especially ones that involve The Lucha Bros, wrestlers spend up to a minute at ringside while the referee pretends to count to ten.

9 Misusing Talent

kyle o'reilly aew debut adam cole bobby fish

When a star leaves WWE, it's always, "Go to AEW, you'll be treated much better." Unfortunately, as we have seen with stars such as Andrade ElIdolo, Adam Cole, and Shawn Spears, the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Adam Cole has completely been ruined. From NXT Champion to being a presented as a joke in AEW.

He was a serious wrestler and a top star in NXT, but in AEW all he does is gets kissed by The Young Bucks, and he lost a match to Orange Cassidy, the guy who wrestles with his hands in his pockets. When Spears was known as Tye Dillinger in WWE, many fans said he'd become a star if he went to AEW . That's not going great at all. Andrade El Idolo has only had a handful of matches since he joined the promotion, and he recently purchased Hardy Family Office, the worst stable in the company.

8 Introduction Of New Stars

AEW has done a terrible job of introducing lesser-known stars to the public. Stars like Jade Cargill were suddenly presented on TV for the first time with no hype whatsoever. She just came in and no one knew who she was. WWE does it properly by airing vignettes to hype up a star's debut. That way, when they finally arrive at TV, people won't be silent wondering who they're looking at. They'd recognize the wrestler from the vignettes.

They'd be aware of their backstory and moniker. When it comes to some ex-WWE stars, AEW gives them horrible feuds at first and then builds them up later, like Miro. His first feud in the company was over a video game. AEW has gotten it right a few times though, like with CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, but they're already established stars, so there's no way to blow it up.

7 Overcrowded Roster

WWE was accused of hoarding talent before the pandemic to keep them from signing with AEW. Now AEW has been going on a signing spree. It happens almost every week that a new star debuts in the company. Fans get excited at first, then forget about them later. Tony Nese and Jay Lethal are the perfect examples.

With the arrival of major names like Punk and Danielson, finding TV time for guys like Kip Sabian and Brian Cage has become difficult. So instead of slowing down, AEW is still bringing in more talent. There are just too many people on the roster, and Tony Khan won't release them, even though he needs to, because he doesn't want to get heat on himself.

6 Paying Too Much Attention To WWE

Since its inception in 2019, AEW has constantly been taking shots at WWE. Promos, interviews, social media, during matches... it just never ends. Even the promotion's owner Tony Khan can't keep WWE out of his mouth, which makes him come out as an obnoxious human being. If Khan thinks his product is better than WWE's, then he'd let it speak for itself.

While AEW stars are busy coming up with ways to trash WWE, Vince McMahon is busy signing lucrative deals with corporations like NBCU and Disney. This is why WWE has survived for over half a century, even during a time when everyone knows that wrestling is scripted. Hardcore AEW fans love it when AEW employees take shots at WWE, but when it's the other way around, WWE is being petty.

5 Lack Of Restrictions

Thunder Rosa - Britt Baker - Lights Out Overhead

Even though it's 2022, AEW, the second-largest wrestling company in the world, still allows its wrestlers to mutilate themselves, which is very risky as many blood-borne diseases like hepatitis B and C have resulted in the end of many wrestlers' careers.

Nigel McGuinness was supposed to be a big star at one point in his career, but his career ended after he contracted hepatitis B. While blood might look cool on TV, it doesn't need to happen frequently. Since AEW doesn't have any restrictions, everyone can do anything they want in the ring, which can put wrestlers in danger. That's why so many botches occur on AEW TV, especially on Dark. WWE is much safer, as things like blading are banned for the wrestlers' safety.

4 Bad Booking

AEW is always spared from criticism related to bad booking. Many feuds and storylines in AEW don't make sense, and it goes on for too long or too short. Adam Cole's feud with Orange Cassidy was awful, and Cole, a former NXT Champion, losing to Cassidy because he couldn't escape from a loose hug, is just mind-boggling.

The Best Friends and HFO feud was just as bad. The ATT and Inner Circle feud was dreadful, and the Cody Rhodes/Anthony Ogogo feud was a nightmare (no pun intended). And a lot of matches take place on the show without any storylines or feuds. Lights Out matches should be used to end major feuds, only when it's necessary.

3 Placement Of Matches

Kicking off a show with a highly-anticipated World Championship match on free TV is as ridiculous as it sounds. Especially when there's no other major match or segment planned for the main event. Viewers won't have much of a reason to keep watching the show, especially if the big matches are followed by a Dan Lambert or Matt Hardy segment.

AEW needs to rethink its card placement for pay-per-view matches. It doesn't make sense for all the highly-anticipated matches to take place towards the end of the show. It has to be spread out throughout the show to keep the crowd lively and awake.

2 Sports Entertainment Style

Many AEW fans say AEW is real wrestling, and WWE is sports entertainment. Yet, they ignore stuff like Matt Hardy teleporting and changing clothes in the middle of a match. The Elite has done a lot of goofy stuff as well, like dressing up as the Ghostbusters.

Chris Jericho cut a promo on a drone one time. Luchasauras refers to himself as a dinosaur. Orange Cassidy's shin kicks. Kris Statlander is an alien from the Andromeda Galaxy. It's safe to say, AEW isn't as legitimate as some of its fans claim it is.

1 Toxicity

AEW has one of the most toxic fanbases in the world, who defend the company from the slightest criticism and take any negative stuff said toward AEW as a personal attack. This has caused many fans to lose interest in watching AEW as they can't share their opinion on something without receiving a lot of angry comments.

It's like a cult. It's not just the fans, as Tony Khan is also the same way. He takes shots at WWE almost every week, but when Fox News or Big Swole said something about his company that he didn't like, he immediately jumped. The perfect example of dishing it out but not being able to take it. Even Kenny Omega, the former AEW Champion, can't keep himself from arguing with fans on Twitter.