AEW’s first three years have been jam-packed full of positives and great moments, with some all-time classic matches and shows to jaw-dropping debuts and storylines. In that time, they have accumulated a lot of fans, building a fanbase straight from the ground up.
However, even with all those positives, there has come about several negatives, with even the biggest of AEW fans becoming sick of certain things. With two televised shows per week and a roster of over 100 names, there is bound to be some issues arising, whether that be poor booking, unhappy individuals, or other things too. Either way, there are some more specific niggling issues which are bothering some fans.
10 Miro’s Lack Of TV Time
Back in 2021, Miro was on an absolute war path as the TNT Champion. A hugely well-received ‘Redeemer’ gimmick had him looking like a hugely dominant figure. After losing the TNT Title and taking a break due to injury, he returned to AEW, but things have stalled.
Miro has been winning, but he has been stuck in dead-end feuds and repetitive short promos about his God. There is seemingly no direction for this hugely popular star, and even seeing him have big matches and lose would be better than barely being featured at all. Fans are desperate to see Miro, and are disappointed with his booking.
9 Factions Trying To Recruit Others
A trope which has emerged in AEW is one in which factions try to recruit people. Whilst there are a lot of factions, this trope just isn’t all that interesting for the most part. Andrade El Idolo has failed multiple times to employ babyfaces, as has QT Marshall and The Factory.
It feels like a tired way to kickstart a small feud between them and a babyface who refuses to join their ranks, with it severely lacking any creativity. It worked back when The Dark Order was more cult-like, but it feels overused at this point.
8 Britt Baker At The Top Of The Women’s Division
In the lead-up to her AEW Women’s World Title win, Britt Baker was on a roll, and when she won the Women’s Title, it felt more important than it had done previously. However, since losing the title, she has remained in and around the top of the division.
Whilst she is a big name, fans are desperate to see other female wrestlers featured over Baker, and seeing her in the title picture feels far too same-y and boring at this point.
7 Too Many Chicago Shows
Chicago is an AEW town, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Far too often in recent times have AEW returned to Chicago to host their shows - and the biggest ones at that.
There are many sectors in the country which haven’t yet hosted an AEW event, leaving certain parts of the fanbase feeling alienated at times. With no house shows, AEW feels very constrained to certain regions and territories. Back in the day this was okay, but with a national weekly televised product, some fans are feeling left out.
6 Interim Champions
Having Interim Champions is a nod to the fact that legit combat sports can have interim champions, in the professional wrestling world, it feels out of place. Seeing the likes of Toni Storm hold the Women’s World Title without this actually going on her record, makes her entire reign as Interim Champion feel pointless.
Although stripping a champion of a title isn’t ideal, it ensures that there isn’t a standstill and lack of interest in what is happening in a division. AEW have unfortunately had to crown multiple interim champions in 2022, and people are tired of it.
5 Battle Of The Belts
The concept of the Battle of the Belts showed some promise, but in execution they have been absolute failures. With few title changes to speak of and a lack of star power at times, they feel incredibly missable.
Any time one of these events pops up, there is a distinct lack of excitement. AEW’s recent Grand Slam episode of Dynamite, which featured five title matches and three title changes, should have been the type of show which took place on these Battle of the Belts shows. Instead, fans care little for these events.
4 Taking Shots At WWE
At the beginning, when AEW felt very much like a stand against the much bigger and dominant WWE, some of the shots felt playful and fun. However, Tony Khan’s interviews often contain a shot at WWE, as do several things that take place on TV.
Not all of these are unwarranted or done just for the sake of it, but some certainly are, and the amount of jibes feel too over-the-top, and feel as though they are done solely to get a cheap pop. That cheapness is quite frustrating at times, and detracts from the quality of viewing.
3 Jade Cargill’s Backstage Interviews
Jade Cargill is the reigning and undefeated TBS Champion, but despite an incredible presence, things feel like they are stagnating. A big part of this is due to the incredibly repetitive nature of her run.
Instead of unique feuds and storylines, Cargill is interviewed backstage on a weekly basis, saying the same things and eventually coming face to face with a challenger. AEW needs to fix this to ensure she doesn’t lose her star power, and these interviews need to start changing.
2 The ‘Dead’ Spot For The Women’s Division
Whilst this has improved somewhat at times, most weeks AEW’s women’s division is placed in what many perceive to be the worst spot on Dynamite. The division’s matches often take place right before the main event, at the point of the show where fans are cooled down ahead of the biggest match on the card.
This means that the women’s division often lacks heat, which is all down to structuring. Fans are sick of this, especially since only one match on Dynamite is reserved for the division too. Overall, the division needs better booking, but this is a specific element fans are annoyed about.
1 Too Much Blood
Seeing blood in professional wrestling does feel like a throwback to the likes of the NWA and ECW, but at times in AEW it is a little too much too often. Utilizing it carefully and smartly can increase the intensity and heat of a match - for example when Jon Moxley took on Wheeler Yuta.
However, recently Moxley has been getting busted open almost every week, even against weaker challengers like Mance Warner. There is a collective groan from behind many TV screens when someone does a blade job, as it should be done less frequently.