10: Ethan Page

Ethan Page signed a 3-year deal with AEW in 2021, and on the surface, Page should have been a huge star for the company. Page was and remains insanely charismatic, his in-ring work is excellent, and he has a recognisable brand that goes beyond AEW.

Page has a hit YouTube channel, and this similarly to Zack Ryder allowed fans to fully connect with Page, and there was rampant demand to see Page featured in a prominent role on AEW TV.

Unfortunately, AEW never committed to presenting Page as a top-star, as he would have storylines that went absolutely nowhere, and when he was placed in an extended yet lifeless storyline on TV with Matt Hardy, fans knew that the writing was on the wall.

Page departed AEW during the first half of 2024, and in May of the aforementioned year, Page made his official NXT debut. Page made an instant statement by attacking NXT Champion, Trick Williams. Based on this strong initial presentation, it’s evident that WWE sees dollar signs when it comes to Page and rightly so.

9: Mark Henry

Upon signing Mark Henry, it was reported that Henry was going to be used by AEW as both a commentator and as a coach. This was fantastic news, as Henry had decades of experience, and he had lived through the highs and lows of being a pro wrestler.

Outside of a few appearances on TV, and delivering commentary for AEW Collision, Henry didn’t seem to do anything substantial when it came to his run.

Henry could have easily been used as a manager for a young talent, but AEW were for some reason reluctant to put the former World Champion on TV.

The WWE Hall of Famer announced that he had parted ways with the company in May 2024, and although Henry showed no signs of negativity towards his run in Tony Khan’s promotion, the same can’t be said for the fan-base who collectively wondered why the respective run was so meaningless.

8: Andrade

For the first few years of AEW’s existence, most of the talent seemed happy to be wrestling for the promotion. However, as more top talent came into the fold, it became apparent that there weren't going to be prominent spots for everyone on the roster.

One of the names that AEW struggled with how to book and present was Andrade. Although Andrade had some feuds with top AEW names such as Cody Rhodes, his booking fell completely flat, and AEW would go through a frustrating trend of giving Andrade a new manager seemingly every week.

Andrade would often take shots at AEW on social media, and this was likely the only way Andrade felt he could address the problems with his booking. Ultimately, Andrade was allowed to leave the company, and he wasted no time whatsoever in re-signing with WWE. Andrade always had a strong and positive relationship with Triple H, so it was a foregone conclusion that whenever Andrade was allowed to leave AEW, he was going straight back to working under The Game.

7: Keith Lee

Keith Lee’s AEW booking has been such a mess, and it’s not just the AEW fans that are calling out Tony Khan.

In the summer of 2023, Lee was a hot topic on Busted Open Radio, and Bully Ray nailed the consensus amongst the fan base regarding Lee’s booking in the company:

“The drop-off, in my opinion, with Keith Lee has been substantial. Keith Lee now needs an Apollo Creed … I believe that the right guy to get in Keith Lee’s face and start reminding him about who he was for a brief period of time and what his potential really is, is Mark Henry. They are not playing to Keith Lee’s wheelhouse. They are not playing to his strengths,” he stressed. “The most memorable match I’ve seen Keith Lee in, in my opinion, is his one against Dijakovic in NXT … There is nothing going on in AEW right now where I think Tony, creative, or anybody involved there truly understands Keith Lee, and how to write and/or book for him.”

Lee has had a long and documented history with health problems, and it was reported in early 2024 that Lee was requiring surgery. This is possibly a factor in AEW failing to book Lee in any meaningful storylines, and it will be interesting to see if his booking improves when he (eventually) returns to AEW programming.

6: Jay White

Jay White’s AEW tenure got off to a strong start, as White would instantly be propelled into the main event picture. White had a questionable PPV main event against MJF, that seemed to split the fans right down the middle, and following the mixed reception, AEW decided to move White rather dramatically down the card.

White currently finds himself in a trio with The Gunns, which is entertaining, yet is a far-cry from what White is capable of.

White reportedly had the chance to sign with WWE, and seeing White wrestle names such as AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns could have been truly special.

This isn’t to say that White’s booking won’t improve, as White is a reliable star that AEW could easily count on if they ever need another name in the main event picture.

5: Jake Hager

When Jake Hager AKA Jack Swagger signed with AEW, it gave the company another former WWE World Champion on their roster. Whilst Hager isn’t exactly amongst the most elite former World Champions ever, he is somewhat credible, and could easily be used in a featured role if booked correctly.

For the past few years, Hager has done literally nothing in the company. Hager has lingered at the side of Chris Jericho, and the only character development he’s received has been him wearing a hat. This is sheer laziness and incompetence from the AEW creative team, and there’s no purpose having a former WWE World Champion under contract if you’re just going to book and market him as a total laughing stock.

Hager had just two featured matches in the year 2024, before it was confirmed online that Hager had departed the company in May.

It’s unclear what Hager’s plans are; however, a company such as TNA would be a smart and sensible choice for Hager to spread his wings, and finally be booked to wrestle.

4: Paul Wight

In 2021, it was announced to the world that Paul Wight AKA Big Show had signed with AEW.

The wrestling legend was being brought in to deliver commentary, and it was also confirmed that Wight would be wrestling from time to time. Similarly to Mark Henry, Wight brought decades of experience with him to AEW, and he should have in theory been a perfect fit for the locker room.

When the AEW Dark Evolution show ceased to exist in 2023, so did Wight’s commentary duties.

Wight has wrestled just a handful of times for the promotion, and the crazy thing is, Wight is undefeated in the company. That’s right, Wight despite being semi-retired has won every single match he’s competed in.

The former WWE Champion could easily be used to elevate a young star, but this isn’t what AEW are doing.

3: Jade Cargill

Jade Cargill was pushed to the moon during her run in AEW, yet this hindered her growth and success. Cargill needed time to develop and grow, and due to AEW rushing things, it led to Cargill being greatly exposed, and AEW eventually losing Cargill to WWE.

If AEW had just been patient, and paired Cargill with top names whilst allowing her to train in the background, then they could have had a top female star that could carry the company for years to come.

WWE have truly mastered the presentation of Cargill, as they didn’t book her to take a single bump until they were satisfied that she could deliver. When Cargill was eventually deemed ready for the main roster, she worked closely with key players such as Naomi, Asuka, and Bianca Belair, and this has given Cargill every chance in the world to succeed at the highest level.

2: Jeff Hardy

Whilst Jeff Hardy was way past his prime in 2022, it was still seen as a smart signing when AEW signed the Charismatic Enigma.

Hardy was still immensely popular with the fans, and a run alongside Matt Hardy would make perfect business sense.

Unfortunately, Hardy’s run has been a total dud, and it’s not completely AEW’s fault. Hardy’s in-ring work regressed considerably during this run, and the matches he had alongside Matt Hardy simply weren’t at the level fans want.

Hardy is still a legend in the industry, and one of the faults from AEW’s side comes to their presentation of him. Hardy never felt special or unique, he felt like just a random guy on the roster with no aura or credibility.

Hardy’s brother, Matt exited AEW in early 2024, and Jeff followed suit shortly after. Jeff now finds himself in TNA, where he hopes he can turn his career trajectory around. 

1: Wardlow

If fans watched the first two-years of AEW programming in isolation, it would be easy and fair to rule that Wardlow was going to become the biggest hand-made star in the company.

Wardlow had aura as a talent, and he had unbelievable babyface star power when he eventually turned on his former friend, MJF.

Sadly, AEW butchered the booking of the feud between Wardlow and MJF, and once the feud had come to a close, Wardlow’s booking entered into a state of flux, as it was evident that Tony Khan was clueless with what to do with him.

Following time away from AEW TV, this being an absence that wasn’t remotely justified, Wardlow returned as a heel as part of the now infamous faction known as The Undisputed Kingdom. Wardlow’s reasoning for now being a heel lacked any weight, and it’s hardly a surprise that Wardlow is indirectly bashing the company on a frequent basis.

During an interview with Terrificon in 2023, Wardlow stated being left off TV made him depressed, and the passion and love that the talented star for wrestling instantly came through:

“…So I’ve been off TV for almost a couple months, and I’ve been very depressed. Wrestling is my everything. It makes me happy. So today, I feel like me again for the first time in months. So I just want to say thank you guys for coming out because you guys really flip a switch in my mind and my heart that I needed, so thank you…”

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