9 Ups & 9 Downs For AEW In 2022

2. Misuse Of Talent

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This point has been touched upon elsewhere, but the use of talent by a promoter is so critical that it deserves a wider exploration of its own.

How many times have you settled down to watch Dynamite, only to be confronted by a match graphic on the bottom left of the screen telling you that Jay Lethal is in action? If you can separate the art from the artist, Lethal is an excellent and yet more valuable worker. He's safe in the ring, it's impossible to have a bad match against him, and every roster needs a 50/50 guy. Lethal is that guy, but he isn't tremendously exciting, and his presence on the show means that the presence of other, more exciting performers is scaled back.

This is especially vexing in the case of Miro, who is such a tremendous promo with a great grasp of the threat that he could work a fantastic grudge feud with no issue whatsoever.

It's not just Miro. Riho, an actual ratings draw who always gets fans into her matches, has made all too infrequent appearances. Anthony Ogogo is too imposing, legitimate and cruelly funny not to award more TV time. Penelope Ford deserves to be featured more. HOOK Vs. GEEK became a missable and all too familiar TV cycle that squandered his immense potential.

Ultimately, a good promoter makes good use of the talent available to him, and Khan didn't do enough of that in 2022.

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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!