10 AEW Stars Who Have Gone AWOL
3. Paige VanZant
A mainstream-ish name and great athlete with a massive and devoted online following, Paige VanZant was an astute pick-up from Tony Khan. Or, at least, she was worth the risk of what must have been a not inconsiderable sum of money; the former MMA star was the exact sort of performer who seemed destined to get good and to get over.
It hasn't worked out.
She carried herself as a star in appearances alongside American Top Team and instantly, with good, obnoxious heel work, grasped the ga-ga of pro wrestling. Her ring work - and it was her first match, so it's almost harsh to judge - was lacking.
She teamed with Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky in a win over Kazarian, Sammy Guevara and Tay Melo. It was as messy as the storyline, which hardly helped in getting her a reaction on the night, but she drew unflattering comparisons to Ronda Rousey, the obvious barometer. Rousey's debut was a masterclass; VanZant's in comparison was a wonky pursuit of cheap heat.
Her trainer, Gangrel, recently revealed in an interview with K&S WrestleFest that VanZant, despite showing promise, didn't train as often as he thought was necessary and has essentially stopped communicating with him.
That all reads as a failed and quietly dropped experiment from this vantage point.