10 Creeping Problems AEW MUST Fix

4. Roster Bloat

Andrade AEW
AEW

The upcoming premiere of Rampage will surely resolve this issue.

The issue is that, through the bustling format of Dynamite and its enormous cast, AEW is effectively cramming three hours' worth of television into two. Rampage will allow everything to register, where currently, quite a lot of the sequencing feels rushed and the gravity of a threat doesn't feel like one, if said threat is immediately bantered off with a prank of some sort.

Nobody other than the 1.7M lunatics that watch RAW want to see the same wrestlers wrestle every week - these people are content to watch them wrestle twice on the same show - but the roster, at least ahead of August, is bloated.

Where's Tay Conti?

She excelled in the role of upstart challenger a couple of months ago, and after failing in a noble effort has barely appeared on the flagship. She isn't involved in a grudge feud because there is not sufficient space to book her in one. It appears to be Red Velvet's "turn" at this stage, and that's good and also not. She also has rich potential. But it's likely that she won't beat the champion, and it's clear at this stage what happens when the challenger fails: not much of anything.

Rampage will allow for something like Tay Conti Vs. Jade Cargill - established babyface versus emerging heel - but right now, the cycles make it difficult to truly invest.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!