Addition through subtraction? Improving the AEW and WWE rosters

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 hour ago, DavidB6937 said:

What does LA Knight have to do to stop getting the Fandango comparison?

 

Not be shit

[Loki]

1 hour ago, RedRooster said:

But fuck me, we’ve gone three pages before someone made choices of their own, my picks weren’t that controversial - the whole point of the thread was to force people to trim the upper card to remove bloat.

It was a nice try but people didn't even read your initial post before kicking off.

I think you can make an individual case for most people on the AEW roster.  It's just the sheer quantity that is the issue.  Sure, Moxley has value, but if you cut the roster by 30% then Khan would be forced to use the remaining wrestlers better.  You start to understand why WWE traditionally cuts a bunch of wrestlers after Wrestlemania - you need some turnover or you'll never admit defeat, people will never get pushed out of their comfort zone and new stars won't emerge.

There's whole swathes of the roster that haven't achieved much in 5 years.  Private Party - couldn't tell you who is who in that team and they've been on tv since 2019.  Those two brothers who both look like Action Andretti, and seem to be tagging with Action Andretti.  So much dead wood that's on telly all the time.

As well as thinning the roster, I'd hugely thin the belts out.  Samoa Joe spent the first 12 months in AEW poncing around on ROH TV with a meaningless belt.  Get rid of all the ROH belts but the World Championship (which will only appear on ROH tv), get rid of the trios title, get rid of one of the midcard belts (International, Continental, whatever they are called).  I actually liked the Power Rankings and all that from earlier in AEW (/January this year), and the idea that people were moving up and moving down.

You can see the attraction of the old territory system can't you.  Imagine if AEW, WWE, TNA all had a core roster of 30 guys, and everyone else rotated around the majors and the indies as genuine free agents.

 

 

 

[Carbomb]

Seems to me that the shape the industry's in is probably the best it's been for wrestlers since the territory days - if a worker gets cut from WWE, they don't have to go to AEW: there are also the options of TNA, NWA, MLW, AAA, CMLL, and NJPW for those looking for middling-but-acceptable paydays in wrestling. If you're a jobber, you have the indie circuit and the smaller Japanese promotions as well.

Also, the TV and film industries are good places for goon/henchman gigs.

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 hour ago, Loki said:

There's whole swathes of the roster that haven't achieved much in 5 years.  Private Party - couldn't tell you who is who in that team and they've been on tv since 2019.  Those two brothers who both look like Action Andretti, and seem to be tagging with Action Andretti.  So much dead wood that's on telly all the time.

There’s a whole roster to choose from but you can’t name, or tell who is who from these 5? Without googling Darius and Dante Martin, Marq Quen and Isiah Cassidy. Yeesh.

Anyway, at @RedRoosteryeah I did misread your comment earlier. My picks for the elbow.

Jericho - let him have his hall of fame run

Jeff Hardy - same

Hook - there’s something there, but it ain’t there yet

Danhausen - His obsession with Pepsi Phil has shown him up to be a bit of a tit. A hard act to book on a serious wrestling show. He doesn’t have the range of an Orange Cassidy, and I’m sure he’ll make lots of monies in a comedy role. Pains me as a fan to say, but I wouldn’t miss him.

House of Black Malakai and Buddy - HHH loves them and their partners are there. Have fun boys

Ricky Starks - Another who wants to go, so let him go.

Max Caster - Off to NXT for you sonny

Preston Vance - I like him, but he can’t catch a break.

 

 

[Supremo]

Danhausen to WWE is an interesting idea. Looking at Danhausen’s Twitter Likes the last week or so, that appears to be what he wants, too. He doesn’t seem to be particularly shy about supporting Punk over AEW in this never-ending war of shit. Can Bryan Danielson fine the roster for Likes? Or does it have to be Tweets?

Checking Cagematch, Danhausen hasn’t been on AEW television for months, yet continues to wrestle independent shows, so something is definitely up. They’re actively opting to not use him. Fools.

Maybe it’s best if they let him go to hang out and drink Pepsi with Phil on Monday nights. I don’t believe he’d be more successful there though. WWE has improved massively, and is far looser and more enjoyable these days, but I’d still have zero faith in WWE doing that type of comedy or character work. It’s a million miles from their style. I don’t even think Hunter would get it.

Honestly, it might be Punk’s greatest crime. I love me some Danhausen. It’s a crying shame all this has led to him being in this weird limbo, not making me laugh on TV.

[TheBurningRed]

He’s also incredibly thin skinned and has had a few arguments with people on twitter in recent months. 

Didn’t he get in trouble with AEW for selling knock off merch? 

[Joe Blog]

58 minutes ago, TheBurningRed said:

He’s also incredibly thin skinned

Punkhausen

[JimmyAnderson]

I don't watch WWE anyore, as I seem to say a lot here, so I don't know what will or won't work in today's WWE Universe. But my picks for people who seem to have hit the wall at AEW and would benefit from leaving are;

Powerhouse Hobbs - huge fan of the lad but he isn't going anywhere in AEW. Give him a fresh start somewhere else. He has bags of potential to be a main eventer but like most of the AEW midcard he has a big moment that doesn't lead to much more - his example being the man who basically broke Jericho's back to just then be fodder for Ospreay. And then isn't seen again.

Wheeler Yuta - made a decent job of being a nasty little shithouse in the BCC but beyond that isn't much more for him that I can see in AEW. Dunno if WWE still have a cruiserweight division but if they do, Yuta could do well there. A more techincal cruiserweight than a high flier as well to give a bit of variation.

Adam Cole - I've only really seen him in AEW and not sure I want to see any more of him or his gang of mates. Other than his catchphrases, he doesn't seem to offer anything to the company so let him go to WWE and see if they can find something worthwhile for him.

MJF - his heel schtick had become tiresome and the moment has gone for me to care about the fued with Cole when they both return so let him go to WWE where he can rehash his AEW career only this time to keep telling those in attendances that he's going back to AEW when his contract is. It's Bidding Time in 2029.

Don Callis - I'm sure there's a role for him somewhere in any company but he doesn't seem to be helping in anyway right now AEW. Give him some new clients, some new people to go up against on the mic and hopefully something other than "I knew Kenny Omega before he was famous" for his promos. 

The Butcher and The Blade - they've never really amounted to much in AEW, which is a shame in my opinion because I think they've got something about them. The Butcher gets some light shone on him during battle royals from time to time but beyond that very little. They're not even a team that presents others with a credible victory such is their lack of success in AEW. Maybe a stint in NXT could benefit them.

FTR - the only storyline they seem to have is with the Young Bucks, beyond that there's nothing that AEW really give them to get their teeth into. The BCC storyline looked as if was going somewhere but got pushed back for reasons they couldn't control. Being two time (possible three) tag champs means they're a big scalp in AEW but because the only interest from the company seems to be them v Bucks then even beating them isn't rewarded with any sort of gloss. If you don't watch Collision would you even know Starks and Bill beat them for the tag titles? Let them go back to WWE where they can be grumpy with Punk.

Abadon - doesn't seem to ever be prominently featured on Dynamite even though her record is one of the best in the division. She could thrive with that kind of gimmick with the right backing. She's something different to most women wrestlers as well.

Nyla Rose - another who is no longer featured that prominently by AEW. Her size and being a former women's champion means that she still has some clout when it comes to defeating her but that star is dimming by the day as they focus on others. Move her to WWE and give them another big, monster woman. 

Mercedes Mone - I know she's only just turned up and may well turn out to be a fantastic signing but the early signs are that she's taking time that should be given to others. I'm sure she sees herself as too big for the second promotion anyway, so let her go back to WWE and do the same things she's doing now anyway.

[ElBigFella]

If I'm Tony I completely strip back the roster to something like this..

Mens
Kenny Omega
MJF
Danielson
Samoa Joe
Moxley
Okada
Darby
Will Ospreay
House Of Black
Swerve Strickland
Jericho
Adam Page
Adam Cole
Young Bucks
Copeland
Christian
Cesaro
The Acclaimed
Bandido
Brian Cage
The Gunns
Jay White
Juice Robinson
Eddie Kingston
Kota Ibushi
Powerhouse Hobbs
Miro
Pac
Lucha Brothers
Ricky Starks
Serpentico
Sammy Guevara
The Dark Order
The Hardy Boys

Womens
Mercedes Mone
Toni Storm
Julia Hart
Athena
Britt Baker
Jamie Hayter
Skye Blue
Thunder Rosa
Hikaru Shida
Tay Melo
Deonna Purazzo
Willow Nightingale

With all the money saved, I'd pay for licensed themes, production and a significant investment in creative.

Edited April 18 by ElBigFella