At AEW’s Full Gear PPV, Tony Schiavone came to the stage to announce the company’s newest signee, Jay Lethal. It’s true that Lethal is a well-travelled individual in the wrestling world, winning a sea of championships in various promotions, notably in Ring of Honor and Impact Wrestling, and has dominated much of the independent scene. Despite all these accomplishments, this signing may not necessarily be a good thing for AEW.
The Signing Could Bring Concerns To The Company's Image
It’s important to note that nothing was ever conclusive when it comes to Lethal, but he was one of the names mentioned during the Speaking Out Movement, in which many victims spoke out about abuse they had received over the years within the professional wrestling business. Despite multiple allegations, Lethal denied them, with nothing ever being resolved.
The innocence of Lethal will always be something up in the air, but one thing is for sure — his name carries a lot of weight and negativity. AEW’s experience within the Speaking Out Movement saw Jimmy Havoc released, and Sammy Guevara taking time away to undergo sensitivity training to better himself. Bringing in a name with some high-profile accusations is always going to be controversial, regardless of if anything was ever proven, and that is simply not worth the risk, especially when the reward may not be too much. The likelihood of alienating some of the audience is extremely high with a signing like this.
Does Lethal Have A Place In AEW?
AEW’s current roster page lists over one hundred in-ring talents under their employment. Adding extras to that list needs to be done with a lot of care. There have been concerns that some members of the roster, namely in the women’s division, don’t get enough time to showcase their skills, with minimal TV time. Adding to the male roster adds yet another hurdle to trying to balance out match cards.
It’s safe to say that AEW’s roster is stacked. Main event talents such as ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, Kenny Omega, CM Punk, and Bryan Danielson are certified superstars, with the upper midcard seeing the likes of Darby Allin, Jungle Boy, and MJF establishing themselves as both the present and future of the company.
Whilst Lethal has been successful in various promotions, he doesn’t carry the name value of many already in the company due to a lack of larger scale exposure in a company like WWE or NJPW. It’s true that he isn’t as young as some members, and also not as old, but also less high-profile experience to offer, despite his impressive résumé.
What Can Lethal Bring To AEW?
AEW has proven that even those who didn’t come from WWE have the potential and talent to become legitimate draws. Lethal does bring experience and success from his time in the business, but there are plenty others currently that can offer a lot more in terms of that. That isn’t to say Lethal doesn’t have all the tools to make it in AEW, because he has a confidence on the mic and great in-ring work. But does he have enough to stand out amongst the already over young talent, and the big-name veterans?
For someone who is likely to sit in the midcard, which seems to be the plan when observing his decisive loss to TNT Champion Sammy Guevara in his debut match, it feels like it could be a waste of a signing. AEW has such an extensive pool of wrestlers to fill any role that Lethal will take up, and many of those individuals will have worked painstakingly to earn that position within the last few years in the company.
There Are Other Big Names Who Would Be Better Signings
When looking at some of the available talents on the market, many big names are possibly looking to see out their contracts in WWE. With the likes of Kyle O’Reilly, Johnny Gargano, and Kevin Owens perhaps being readily available soon, and with released names such as Bray Wyatt, Keith Lee, and John Morrison likely acting as big targets for several companies, it seems like AEW’s focus would be better suited with other wrestlers.
In his few AEW appearances so far, he doesn’t seem to stand out as much as he did in other promotions. In his title match with Guevara, he had a clear advantage over the injured champion, but came up short, making him seem a little weak so soon into his run. If he is there to just put others over in good matches, then it may be a formula that works, but when considering some of the talents on the roster that haven’t truly broken out yet, like Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Anna Jay, adding Lethal to the mix doesn’t do much to help anybody.