10 Times AEW Took Advantage Of WWE Ignoring The Fans

4. Andrade

Roman Reigns, CM Punk
AEW

Though it took the former NXT Champion a few matches to find his feet in All Elite Wrestling, signs are increasingly looking good for the recently-released star.

A developing story alongside Malakai Black and against a PAC he now finds himself 1-1 with in singles action has given his character some much needed purpose away from f*cking around with The Lucha Brothers and trying to find a manager that suits his confusing needs. All of this is better for the simplest of reasons - the matches will now surely rule.

For the man who was never permitted to excel on WWE's main roster as he did on its developmental brand, this couldn't have come at a better time. Ironically, it was 'El Idolo's massive upside that added a certain pressure when he arrived. Time away from television and a curiously indifferent start to life in AEW worked against expectations, but the ongoing recovery (and several other success stories for the company) has inspired faith that all will eventually end extremely well.

 
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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett