AEW’s Development Issues Exposed as Young Talent Struggles to Progress

AEW has built a roster stacked with young, promising stars, but according to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, the company isn’t doing enough to develop them—and it’s starting to show.

One of AEW’s biggest issues is that its younger talent simply isn’t working enough. Meltzer pointed out that the company isn’t giving them enough dates, either in the ring or in front of live crowds for promos. “The key to being a superstar today when the number of people who can perform good matches is high, is to be able to get over on the mic,” he wrote. “The AEW situation where talent on the way up works so little is not going to make them better.”

Meltzer pointed out examples like Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita, who honed their craft worldwide before finding success in AEW. But for many of the homegrown AEW names, there’s been little to no progress. Hook was a lightning-in-a-bottle breakout when he debuted, but years later, he’s still at the same level on promos. “He’s better in the ring but nowhere near where he’d be if he was working a full schedule and having to do constant promos,” Meltzer added.

The problem, according to one AEW source, is that Tony Khan isn’t being pushed hard enough to change things. “Nobody seems to be able to get through to Tony on this end,” the source told Meltzer. “Yes, Top Flight needs more ring time in front of an actual live crowd, not a couple hundred waiting for a taping to end at 11:45 p.m. But these guys are also making well into the six figures. They aren’t gonna hustle for indie work or push Tony about it.”

AEW has all the tools to create future stars, but without more ring time, promo opportunities, and live experience, many of its young talents risk becoming lost in the shuffle. If AEW wants to compete long-term, they need to invest in building the next generation—or risk watching them fade into obscurity.