As we all know Aew has hired lots of wrestlers who worked in Wwe. Imo things have gotten pretty crowded on that roster. Who do yall think Aew should have not signed from Wwe? Does anybody think that every signing was right?
The number of ex-WWE guys they have been bringing in is concerning, but also the guys WWE are releasing are too good to not be there.
At some point they need to realize they have 2 titles, and like 100 guys all deserving of being a champ. How they navigate that will be interesting, but so far the direction they have taken with Hangman, a "homegrown" talent, to push through the new signings doesn't bode well.
I think I'm in the minority here but I'd like to see them sign Ric Flair assuming he can be a manager and can still cut killer promos. Like his role in TNA but no wrestling of course. I think it's possible since they signed guys like Sting, Arn Anderson and Jake Roberts.
I don’t think Ric will want matches. I don’t know that but I don’t think he will. And I don’t think they’ll want to. Unlike WWE, AEW doesn’t bring in legends and humiliate them
I don’t think Ric will want matches. I don’t know that but I don’t think he will. And I don’t think they’ll want to. Unlike WWE, AEW doesn’t bring in legends and humiliate them
Are you ready?If they let Ric wrestle then I am convinced Tony wants someone to die live on TV
My take on the former WWE guys, in no particular order:
Miro: I have to say I watched VERY little to no WWE for the past 10+ years and likely longer. Kind of understood the Miro thing but was never bowled over by him. I have to say that his intensity and physicality impresses me and I think he's a good heel. I didn't think he'd be a great signing, but so far I like what I'm seeing. Even think he's better in the ring than I'd imagined.
Moxley: Never thought The Shield was cool, but again didn't watch much. Like the idea of him on his own and sort of who his character is. I also love the use of "Wild Thing". Of late though he's not been as entertaining, but still a talent that if they book him right is great to have and should be part of the top tier.
Pac: Incredible wrestler and can cut a promo too. I didn't see him in WWE really but I can only imagine they didn't utilize him properly. AEW can get more out of him, but generally I like the way they're using him right now.
Billy Gunn: I'm OK with him. Kind of cool they pair him with his sons. Guys like him and Dustin could get good booking with the right storyline, something along the lines of one final run or they're past it. Apart from that though keep him with his boys and have them on Dark or Dark Elevation at best. Might be interesting to have him or his sons turn on the other.
Christian: Meh. I've always liked him and he can still go, but not liking the booking too much. Definitely shouldn't be challenging Omega if you ask me unless it's a one off. That brings me to again mention how AEW needs to extend some of it's feuds and have make sure that talent is all on the right level of the card. Have to be careful with that latter part, but too much jumping around.
Jericho: Slam dunk. Once again was able to evolve into a new character. Curious what they'll do when the MJF feud is finally over.
Chavo: Unnecessary. Not bad, but not really necessary.
Vicky Guerrero: Pleasantly surprised. I think she has a role to play in the women's division and she's playing it. Glad they didn't have her with Andrade though.
Andrade: A talent to be sure and a talent to be signed. We'll see how his character evolves though. I like the storyline now but still wondering how it ends.
Cody: Franchise level talent if you ask me, but he's been poorly used for over a year.
Aleister Black: Really don't know him that well, but seems like a good signing. Could see him feuding with Pac or even partnering with Pac. Not sure if they crossed paths in WWE though.
FTR: Or whatever they're called. Should have made more of their feud with the Bucks. They should be in AEW and a top team in a pretty deep tag division.
Hager: I'm not a fan. Guy doesn't bring much to the table for me.
Big Show: He's not great on commentary, but could see him used limited in the ring.
Sting: I'm fine with him so far. Partnering him with Darby makes sense, but for how long? Plenty of potential options with Sting and I'd like to see him in more matches.
One final thing I will say about the veterans, I think their presence generally is a good thing and they can really help the younger guys along.
I'm going to borrow the format used by my esteemed colleague, because even a broken clock is right twice a day. There are certainly signings that you have to make because they are too valuable or too talented not to get. The problem with AEW is that it seems to sign almost anybody who is available. That isn't the case exactly, but it gives that impression and makes the company look desperate. There are also diminishing returns when a roster that is already big enough keeps bringing in old WWE wrestlers.
Miro: Bad signing. He isn't all that good and plenty of AEW's own guys could have filled his spot. Looks like a signing where they were just happy to get a WWE castoff. AEW should sign ex-WWE guys who are main eventers or young guys with talent. Miro is neither. Disagree. Miro is really good, and despite a weak start with AEW, he has come on strong. He has main event potential if he lets himself get there.
Moxley: Good signing. I haven't liked his work in AEW so far but he's shown talent before and he brought some excitement. He's a credible guy for the top of the card.
Pac: Good signing. Really good wrestler who WWE underutilized.
Billy Gunn: Bad signing. Reeks of a guy conning them to get a few more paycheques. If he's a trainer that's fine I guess (though I doubt that Mr. Ass has a ton of wisdom to impart) but keep him off TV. He's a relic and was never good. Classic WWE washout. Shouldn't be on TV, but has a decent mind for the business. Can certainly help younger guys with tag team work.
Christian: Good signing. I wouldn't like it with how many WWE guys preceded him and his age, but Christian is one of my favourites. He's still a great talker, passable in the ring, and a guy that WWE consistently underutilized for his whole career.
Jericho: Good signing. Pretty obvious.
Chavo: Bad signing. Chavo was never good and he's ancient now. No fan has ever tuned in to a wrestling show to see Chavo Guerrero jr. and he brings in that "desperate for WWE guys" stink. Chavo has spent way more time outside of WWE than in it, and he has Hollywood connections, if AEW chooses to use them. He has always been considered a good trainer, so having him around to help younger guys is valuable. Having him on screen...is not.
Vicky Guerrero: Acceptable. Vicky is just a great heel and AEW needs heels. Vickie makes me turn the channel. She isn't entertaining.
Andrade: Good signing. Very talented but still needs some polishing.
Cody: Good signingish. He helped create the company so it isn't a signing really but definitely important. I wish they had someone editing him more but I am a Cody Rhodes fan from way back. Cody needs someone to go over his promos with and tell him which parts suck. And then he needs to listen to those people.
Aleister Black: Bad Signing. I simply don't think that he's very good. People have convinced themselves that he is but I do not expect anything good. He is good. The issue is that he wrestles like face but looks like a heel, so he's always kind of been in limbo. They need to book him correctly. He will work out.
FTR: Good signing. Really good signing. Haven't liked their usage but that doesn't mean that the signing was bad. Probably the best tag team in wrestling even if they are never presented as such.
Hager: Bad signing. He's always sucked and his signing was beyond unnecessary. Anyone with size can fill his role, and it would look better if it wasn't someone who sucked for years in WWE. He's just a big body with MMA experience, good take here.
Big Show: Bad signing. Even if he doesn't wrestle he's beyond washed up and didn't bring much in the first place. Just another old WWE guy hanging around getting a paycheque. The less he is on TV the better. AEW still needs a few recongizable names, and having Show as announcer only is fine for that. He needs to stay out of the ring for the most part though.
Sting: Bad signing. I'd rate this a 4/10 rather than a 1/10 (Hager) so it isn't the worst, but the guy is over 60 years old and was never a talker. Doesn't hurt and he doesn't really bring in WWE stink (only Cody living out his WCW fantasy stink) so it's more of a "why bother" for me. Not really a WWE guy in my eyes, though he was there. I also dislike the laziness of putting him with Allin. Sting is done. He hasn't had anything good for over a decade now. He needs to hang them up.
Tazz: Bad signing. Tazz hasn't even been decent since he was in ECW a whopping 22 years ago. AEW has better managers who are now old wrestlers. I know some like him but I haven't liked Tazz for years. Agreed.
Arn Anderson: Good signing. He brings value backstage and can talk. There are also plenty of guys he can conceivably manage. I put Chavo's signing on par with AA's. Not their impact over their careers, but in what they can bring today. If they don't have Chavo work matches.
Tully Blanchard: He's my boy, I can't hate it. Still a good talker at least. Really not a WWE guy either, despite his short run in the 80s.
Dustin Rhodes: Good signing. Good only because of how he fits with Cody Rhodes. He's also been solid, especially early in AEW.
Jim Ross: Good signing. He's still a decent announcer and is a good counterbalance to some of what goes on in AEW. They should probably be transitioning away from him soon though. Should be a two person announce team.
Tony Schiavone: Good signing. He' my favourite announcer ever and can still do the job well. Schiavone and Excalibur would be fine.
Spears: Bad signing. The worst signing. He's awful and it made the company look stupid/desperate for bringing in a WWE jobber who has the talent of a jobber. One of those signings where if someone defended it, you just knew that they would defend anything their company of choice did. Spears should be a trainer. That's it.
Matt Hardy: Bad signing. I like Matt Hardy but he's been around the block too much. He should be in Impact if he's anywhere. Time for Matt Hardy to hang em up.
Mark Henry: Bad signing. Acceptable if he's off TV but if he ends up on TV he is just another former WWE wrestler getting paid. I like Matt Hardy but there isn't really any meat left on the bone.
Brodie Lee: Good signing. He was better than he was used in WWE and came in before the roster was getting bloated with WWE guys. He was good. I would have a few negatives to say but won't as he passed.
Sydal: Good signing. Good as in "not bad" more than anything else. He comes off more like an indy guy than former WWE to me and he's still decent.
Justin Roberts: Bad signing. There are so many other people they could have hired rather than bringing in another former WWE guy who no one could possibly care about. Nepotism. Hired because Cody likes him.
Andrade keeps looking more and more like a bust to me
This dude still living off of that Gargano match from 4-years ago. All he is is an entrance attire at this point. AS soon as the bell rings he has been extremely underhwleming. As soon as he talks he gets lost and rambles and the segment drags on forever.
Now he's complaining on twitter about Meltzer meme stars like a complete mark.
So far he has had a poor match with Sydal and a meh match with Omega. If he can't have a great match with Pac, it's over.
A lot of people bitch about "AEW is doing what TNA did by signing WWE guys who are just looking for a payday!" and then in the next breath "OMG AEW got Andrade! This is huge!"
It is kinda becoming evident that Andrade might just be that ex-WWE who is just looking for a payday lel.
I'm going to borrow the format used by my esteemed colleague, because even a broken clock is right twice a day. There are certainly signings that you have to make because they are too valuable or too talented not to get. The problem with AEW is that it seems to sign almost anybody who is available. That isn't the case exactly, but it gives that impression and makes the company look desperate. There are also diminishing returns when a roster that is already big enough keeps bringing in old WWE wrestlers.
Miro: Bad signing. He isn't all that good and plenty of AEW's own guys could have filled his spot. Looks like a signing where they were just happy to get a WWE castoff. AEW should sign ex-WWE guys who are main eventers or young guys with talent. Miro is neither.
Moxley: Good signing. I haven't liked his work in AEW so far but he's shown talent before and he brought some excitement. He's a credible guy for the top of the card.
Pac: Good signing. Really good wrestler who WWE underutilized.
Billy Gunn: Bad signing. Reeks of a guy conning them to get a few more paycheques. If he's a trainer that's fine I guess (though I doubt that Mr. Ass has a ton of wisdom to impart) but keep him off TV. He's a relic and was never good. Classic WWE washout.
Christian: Good signing. I wouldn't like it with how many WWE guys preceded him and his age, but Christian is one of my favourites. He's still a great talker, passable in the ring, and a guy that WWE consistently underutilized for his whole career.
Jericho: Good signing. Pretty obvious.
Chavo: Bad signing. Chavo was never good and he's ancient now. No fan has ever tuned in to a wrestling show to see Chavo Guerrero jr. and he brings in that "desperate for WWE guys" stink.
Vicky Guerrero: Acceptable. Vicky is just a great heel and AEW needs heels.
Andrade: Good signing. Very talented but still needs some polishing.
Cody: Good signingish. He helped create the company so it isn't a signing really but definitely important. I wish they had someone editing him more but I am a Cody Rhodes fan from way back.
Aleister Black: Bad Signing. I simply don't think that he's very good. People have convinced themselves that he is but I do not expect anything good.
FTR: Good signing. Really good signing. Haven't liked their usage but that doesn't mean that the signing was bad. Probably the best tag team in wrestling even if they are never presented as such.
Hager: Bad signing. He's always sucked and his signing was beyond unnecessary. Anyone with size can fill his role, and it would look better if it wasn't someone who sucked for years in WWE.
Big Show: Bad signing. Even if he doesn't wrestle he's beyond washed up and didn't bring much in the first place. Just another old WWE guy hanging around getting a paycheque. The less he is on TV the better.
Sting: Bad signing. I'd rate this a 4/10 rather than a 1/10 (Hager) so it isn't the worst, but the guy is over 60 years old and was never a talker. Doesn't hurt and he doesn't really bring in WWE stink (only Cody living out his WCW fantasy stink) so it's more of a "why bother" for me. Not really a WWE guy in my eyes, though he was there. I also dislike the laziness of putting him with Allin.
Tazz: Bad signing. Tazz hasn't even been decent since he was in ECW a whopping 22 years ago. AEW has better managers who are now old wrestlers.
Arn Anderson: Good signing. He brings value backstage and can talk. There are also plenty of guys he can conceivably manage.
Tully Blanchard: He's my boy, I can't hate it. Still a good talker at least. Really not a WWE guy either, despite his short run in the 80s.
Dustin Rhodes: Good signing. Good only because of how he fits with Cody Rhodes. He's also been solid, especially early in AEW.
Jim Ross: Good signing. He's still a decent announcer and is a good counterbalance to some of what goes on in AEW. They should probably be transitioning away from him soon though. Should be a two person announce team.
Tony Schiavone: Good signing. He' my favourite announcer ever and can still do the job well. Schiavone and Excalibur would be fine.
Spears: Bad signing. The worst signing. He's awful and it made the company look stupid/desperate for bringing in a WWE jobber who has the talent of a jobber. One of those signings where if someone defended it, you just knew that they would defend anything their company of choice did.
Matt Hardy: Bad signing. I like Matt Hardy but he's been around the block too much. He should be in Impact if he's anywhere.
Mark Henry: Bad signing. Acceptable if he's off TV but if he ends up on TV he is just another former WWE wrestler getting paid. I like Matt Hardy but there isn't really any meat left on the bone.
Brodie Lee: Good signing. He was better than he was used in WWE and came in before the roster was getting bloated with WWE guys.
Sydal: Good signing. Good as in "not bad" more than anything else. He comes off more like an indy guy than former WWE to me and he's still decent.
Justin Roberts: Bad signing. There are so many other people they could have hired rather than bringing in another former WWE guy who no one could possibly care about.