AEW: Another week, another week of bad news

AEW started five years ago to much fanfare. It was a fresh product that fans really wanted to see at a time when WWE wasn’t giving them what they wanted. WWE had an owner and booker in Vince McMahon who was clearly out of touch with his audience. The roster was unhappy and in disarray, and it seemed like you couldn’t go a day without reading another awful news report about WWE and its talent.

Fast forward five years, and now AEW appears to be the company with an owner who’s out of touch with what the fans want, while its roster is unhappy and in turmoil. Meanwhile, WWE under Triple H is running on all cylinders, with its roster seemingly content.

I want to cover some of the bad news that’s been reported recently and share my thoughts on it. By the way, to avoid questions like “Who’s your source?” or “Where did you read that?” as I got last time, everything I mention here was reported either on this site or on Cultaholic, and comes from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the week AEW has had:

1. The Britt Baker/Tony Khan Saga

AEW’s week started with reports that Britt Baker has so much backstage heat with Tony Khan that he decided to bench her rather than use her. This seems to confirm stories shared by others in AEW about her attitude and allegations of bullying behavior. Konnan even mentioned a situation where Thunder Rosa was so fed up with Baker that she wanted to confront her backstage, which doesn’t seem far-fetched.

In my opinion, Tony Khan was smart to keep her under contract. She’s a big star, and even if she has attitude problems, WWE would gladly sign her if she became available. By keeping her under contract, AEW limits her exposure and makes her less valuable if and when her contract expires.

2. Ricky Starks Asked for His Release, But It Was Denied

This type of story was common with WWE in 2018 and 2019, where fans criticized WWE for not granting releases. Now, five years later, Tony Khan is doing the same thing, and many of those same fans defend him.

Starks is clearly passionate about wrestling and wants to wrestle but is stuck on the sidelines waiting for his contract to run out. At least he’s allowed to work indie shows, unlike Rey Fenix, who’s reportedly forbidden from taking outside bookings.

If a talent is so unhappy that they’re asking for an early release, why not grant it? This way, you save money on their downside guarantee and free up a roster spot for someone new.

3. ROH Isn’t Doing a Supercard of Honor During WrestleMania Weekend

This is a big one. The Supercard of Honor has always been a tradition during WrestleMania weekend. For the past two years, Tony Khan had no issue putting on the show, but now it seems he’s opting out.

If this report is true, it shows how much WWE has gotten into Tony’s head. Refusing to run a show during WrestleMania weekend not only misses out on one of ROH’s biggest gates of the year but also lets down fans who enjoy the weekend’s non-WWE events.

4. AEW Is Forbidding Younger Wrestlers From Taking Bookings During WrestleMania Weekend

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW doesn’t want its younger wrestlers taking outside bookings during WrestleMania weekend.

If true, this goes against everything AEW stood for when it launched, which is disheartening. While I understand that these wrestlers are being paid well even if they’re not regularly used, how are they supposed to grow as performers if they can’t take bookings, especially during a weekend that’s a hotbed for indie wrestling?

This move is a disservice to AEW’s young talent and shows how much Tony Khan has lost focus.

5. AEW Claims Great Streaming Numbers on Max Without Releasing Data

AEW claims its streaming numbers on Max are strong but hasn’t released any actual figures. This feels suspicious. If the numbers were genuinely great, they would have shared them, just as WWE did when touting the success of RAW’s debut episodes on Netflix.

This feels like typical promotional spin from Tony Khan, hyping the product without providing proof. A little more transparency would go a long way in building trust with fans.

Conclusion

If AEW fans don’t see what’s happening by now, I’m not sure what more can be said. AEW, at least in how it’s run, has become what it once despised: Vince McMahon’s version of WWE. With more and more reports of backstage issues, AEW increasingly resembles WWE in 2018-2019. That’s a bad look for a company that once had so much potential.