10 AEW Wrestlers Tony Khan Totally FUMBLED
The biggest fumbles from the first five years of All Elite Wrestling
Very much a case of "cause of/solution to" situation at the time, All Elite Wrestling's 2019 roster facilitated more opportunities than might have initially been obvious.
Outside of cameos for pre-pay-per-view Battle Royals at the like, it was relatively easy to name just about everybody on the show from the top slate of initial stars to those on the come-up to those getting their first mainstream opportunity in the most unlikely of circumstances. With a solid hierarchy of talents and a solid enough rankings framework with which to arrange them, the alternative to the market leader quickly became the more attractive place to work for a sizeable number of wrestlers on the other side and beyond.
What looked like a dream scenario eventually morphed into a big problem for Tony Khan.
No one promotion can be full to the brim with main eventers, but the same applies to every rung on the ladder and the more available wrestlers knocking on the door, the more everybody's spot lost a certain value. Fewer main eventers were made, fewer newbies broke through, and the midcard pretty much ceased to exist as a functioning route to the top.
"Fumble" might seem harsh when speaking of a fan-turned-booker with his hands full, but actions have consequences even when you're using your billions to ostensibly make wrestling better...
10. Anthony Ogogo
It's hard to know the exact extent of the value being wasted by not featuring Anthony Ogogo as a regular on AEW television and in meaningful storylines, because he's spent so little time in the spots.
He's wrestled 53 matches total since signing his AEW deal, which isn't a huge number and gets even smaller when 24 (and counting) haven't taken place in All Elite Wrestling rings. Getting reps is crucial for anybody's development, but so little of said development has helped him make meaningful strides forward as a wrestler.
It'd be nice to say it wasn't as simple as him being cursed by the mistakes made in his first major angle, but it still feels that way several years on from a weird build with and damaging loss to Cody Rhodes in what was only his third AEW bout at Double Or Nothing 2021. He had been revealed as a killer with a kill-shot when QT Marshall's Factory broke away from The Nightmare Family, but a strange patriotism-themed build and oddly-agented his match left Ogogo's blade fairly blunt.
Since then, it's been more cameos and another run in another stable, but it feels as though the Olympic Bronze Medallist's time in Shane Taylor Productions will end the same way as in The Factory - with almost no fanfare.