10 Wrestlers Who Found That AEW Wasn't The Promised Land
AEW was not everything these performers dreamed it would be.
When AEW was first announced back in 2019, it was as if every single Christmas had come at once for wrestling fans. Finally, a viable alternative to WWE had arrived, with big money backing and a roster that read like a who's who of indie talent.
As the company grew, so did its appeal. Wrestlers who had been cast off by WWE or who had felt their time there was underwhelming saw AEW as a chance to prove themselves on a big stage. Equally, unsigned talent who didn't work the WWE style finally had somewhere to call home.
However, as time went on, it became clear that AEW was not as perfect as it first appeared. Like all wrestling companies, AEW has had its fair share of backstage drama, creative differences, and full-blown fist fights between talent, leading some to be disenfranchised by the company they once saw as wrestling's safe haven.
Whilst it would be foolish to assume that AEW could please everyone, the following ten performers have all been let down by the company in some way and a few of them even got so fed up that the left the promotion entirely.
10. Malakai Black
Let's kick things off with the reason this list exists.
After his House of Black faction lost a six-man tag at All Out 2022, Malakai Black seemingly said goodbye to the AEW fans and has since confirmed that he will be taking time away from wrestling.
It all started out so promising for the former Aleister Black in AEW. After shockingly being let go from WWE, Black was immediately inserted into a high-profile feud with Cody Rhodes. However, it didn't take long for things to go south.
Black and Rhodes' feud went on forever, getting less and less exciting with every week. Things picked up when Malakai was joined by Brody King and Buddy Matthews, but they too were sucked into their own never-ending feud with Death Triangle. Black drifted further and further out of the spotlight, eventually leading us to where we are now.
Aleister Black was a thoroughly underrated performer during his time on the WWE main roster and he had a lot of potential heading into AEW. Unfortunately, due to the company's bloated roster, he has still yet to achieve that potential and now, in AEW at least, it looks like he never will.