Ex-AEW Star Slams "Lack Of Leadership", "Inmates Running The Asylum"
This former AEW title holder discussed the highs and lows of their time with the company.
An AEW Original, Frankie Kazarian did not hold back when recently discussing the highs and lows of his time with Tony Khan's promotion.
Nowadays back in TNA, Kaz was with AEW before there was even an AEW, being involved in the initial conversations about putting the company together and what it may look like. However, he opted to depart All Elite Wrestling in late 2022, requesting - and being granted - his release.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, as initially picked up on by Wrestling Inc., Kazarian was asked about the positives and negatives of his AEW run.
On the positives of that time with AEW, the California native detailed:
"Positive? The whole first year. Even going back to, like, the summer before. I was in meetings in undisclosed hotels at two in the morning where it was myself and The Young Bucks, and Cody, and Chris Daniels, and Scorpio Sky, and Kenny, and Tony Khan, talking about what would become AEW. Talking about what do we want to do, what's the vision, who do we want, who do we don't want, who do we want to produce. Everything. That, to me, those are all very fond memories because it was being on the ground floor of something that potentially could be big. We never honestly thought it would come to happen, but it did. Those early meetings and the excitement, us just bouncing ideas, and then to see it actually happen. Obviously, TK having the finances to facilitate this and the connections to get a television deal, it was all huge. All the stars had aligned for AEW to become what it eventually became. It went from a couple of conversations, to a genesis of an idea, to what's the company going to be called, to who are we gonna get. All of a sudden we launch it. Not for nothing, that was one of the most exciting things to happen in pro wrestling in a while, because it was the first new viable, big budget, big business company, and I was part of that. Almost the same way I was part of the early days of TNA, but this was even different, because the landscape of the business had changed so much. That whole first year, the whole on-sale date, the announcement in Jacksonville, the press conference in Vegas, the first Double or Nothing. All of that was excitement because it was new, it was fresh. It was 'Wow, the possibilities are out there'. That was all very positive and stuff I still look back on fondly."
Likely to grab far more attention, though, were Frankie's comments about the negatives of AEW, with him pointing to a lack of leadership and a lack of direction.
"The negative stuff? Just, ultimately, the lack of leadership. Inmates running the asylum, in a way. No real direction. I think there was also, at least when I was there, a lot of ideas that were... so there were stories that were presented, 'We'll do this, this, this, and this'. 'Okay, but after that what are you gonna do?' That was always a problem. It was always, 'Oh, I have a story for three weeks'. Then what? That's why I think angles are dropped so quickly and everything. I just ultimately think a lack of leadership. In this business, you need that guy, that guy with the pencil where the buck stops. And I don't necessarily think that's the case there."
As mentioned, Frankie Kazarian was with AEW since the day the promotion launched, being a part of the inaugural Double or Nothing back in 2019, where he, Christopher Daniels, and Scorpio Sky defeated Cima, T-Hawk, and El Lindaman. Going back further, Kaz was also a part of the pre-AEW All In event that served as somewhat of a table-setter for what would become All Elite Wrestling, teaming with Sky to pick up a win over the Briscoes on the All In Zero Hour.
During his time with AEW, Kazarian - along with Daniels and Scorp as SCU - was a regular presence on the company's early programming, wrestling over 100 matches for the promotion, being one half of the inaugural AEW Tag Team Champions with Scorpio Sky, and at one point taking on an Elite Hunter gimmick - although that Elite Hunter gimmick ultimately went nowhere.
These days, Frankie has spent the early part of 2024 feuding with Eric Young after turning on EY following the pair suffering a loss at the hands of Grizzled Young Veterans back in January.