The One MAJOR Problem Nobody Wants To Admit About AEW

If anything, at least Brandi Rhodes' promise to case a wide net in terms of talent acquisition has been fulfilled.

Former independent standouts Britt Baker and Kylie Rae would surely have been on WWE's radar prior to AEW's formation, and both should play major roles near the top of the division going forward. Awesome Kong is a tremendous get after years of inactivity. Sadie Gibbs, though Raw, is laced with athletic potential. Nyla Rose has immense promise as the division's resident monster. Joshi imports Hikaru Shida, Riho, and Yuka Sakazaki have looked excellent so far, and the legendary Aja Kong is a terrifying veteran presence.

Now, they must put the puzzle together - something their closest American competitors have been nailing over the past few years.

Becky Lynch remains one of WWE's hottest acts, Bayley has been rebuilt as SmackDown Women's Champion, Sasha Banks is back at her heelish best, and Charlotte Flair is a total ace. In NXT, Shayna Baszler is an awesome Lesnar-esque dominator. Yes, the likes of Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Ember Moon haven't been handled well, but the care and attention WWE put into their top-line women's programmes is yet to materialise in All Elite Wrestling.

Tessa Blanchard provides a similar example. She's probably going to become Impact Wrestling's World Champion at some point, and it'll feel totally natural. AEW must do the same.

They don't have a Ronda Rousey, but let's hope AEW can build Baker, Sakazaki, and Gibbs up to the point where they could conceivably headline their biggest show of the year over the men.