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AEW’s roster is constantly growing in size, and they aren’t slowing down with procuring the hottest free agents available in the wrestling world. In 2022 alone, the likes of Samoa Joe, Buddy Matthews, Jeff Hardy, and more have been signed to the company, adding star power and experience. Two of the most attractive and promising recent signings come in the form of Keith Lee and Swerve Strickland, who were each let go by WWE not long prior to joining AEW. However, despite the pair each being in the company for around three months at this point, there hasn’t been too much to shout about, which may be an effect of the large roster that the company possesses.
Many Wrestlers Have Been Affected By AEW’s Roster Size
The mass number of signings made by AEW has been a point of criticism from both fans and haters of the company, as it has led to certain wrestlers not getting enough screen or in-ring time on AEW television. Popular and talented acts such as the Dark Order, Andrade El Idolo, and Team Taz have arguably suffered from this, with their potential being much higher than their current roles on the roster suggest.
On the other hand, with the signings they have made, it is hard to argue with them. Passing up on legends such as Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe who will no doubt boost interest would be a silly move, but also leaving out great in-ring workers such as Buddy Matthews is also hard to do too. The issues exist all over the board, with AEW’s women’s division struggling to get a lot of time or focus due to the large number of male stars that are featured. This has been another major critique for AEW, but it is one that stems from the huge roster.
Keith Lee And Swerve Strickland Have Had Slow Starts In AEW
Keith Lee was brought into the company in February, with him qualifying for the Face of the Revolution ladder match. On more than one occasion, AEW has heavily pushed a debuting name only for them to lose a title match and fall right down the card. Therefore, him losing that ladder match was the correct choice. However, since the ladder match, Lee hasn’t been overly featured. On the Revolution PPV, Swerve Strickland was introduced as a new signing, with him being presented as a big deal.
Lee and Strickland came together in each of their first feuds in AEW, which came against FCW Champion Ricky Starks and Powerhouse Hobbs of Team Taz. All four men are hugely talented, and they made the most of their time, but their feud has been mostly taking place on Rampage. This is all well and good, but Rampage gets a lot less focus than Dynamite, meaning that many are likely missing out on their work. When it comes to Dynamite, Lee and Strickland have been mostly contained to brief backstage interviews, which follow a very similar formula each time.
In the time since debuting, Lee has wrestled on Dynamite just twice, and Strickland just once. This simply isn’t enough for these two performers, who could easily be factored into bigger feuds with the top names on the roster. It could be a matter of patience, with that mindset often paying off in AEW, but when looking at what the future holds, things are unclear.
Things Need To Change For Keith Lee And Swerve Strickland
Strickland and Lee look good together as a tag team, but the division is so stacked that there doesn’t seem to be a clear spot for them amongst many other experienced and defined teams, especially when the two are better known for their work as singles performers. Sticking them together in the tag team division feels like a very WWE thing to do, throwing two individuals together who they have no plans for.
Their current rivals, Team Taz, have their attention turned to the Jurassic Express and Tag Team Titles, leaving Lee and Strickland with nothing to do. For two names so new to the roster, they should be more intense, featured, and booked strongly in order to prove that they are worthy of being on the roster, with both men having a point to prove. Things could certainly change, and AEW may have plans for them to become main players, but every division simply feels too crowded right now. Even if they did challenge for the TNT Championship, a loss would set them each back, but a win would put an end to Scorpio Sky’s reign, which has barely got going so far. Both men need momentum sometime soon, but the sheer scale of AEW’s roster is making that an issue for them.