AEW’s Biggest Disappointment

Eh?

Saraya hasn't lived up to expectations at all, for starters

I don't know what the expectations were for her.  She had literally already retired by the time they got her.

Adam Page looked destined to become a huge star and hasn't.  Kenny Omega was supposed to be the face of the company and never really ramped it up to anywhere close to the level he was at in Japan.  Keith Lee and Miro were brought in and for all intents and purposes were never used.  They announce "signings" like Bryan Keith and they seem to somehow get LESS TV time after that than when they were doing jobs as indy guys.  E.J. Nduka was signed away from MLW and never used.  I thought Pentagon and Fenix would break out on the national stage like Rey Misterio, and they're just more guys in the mid-card mix.  Scorpio Sky was getting pushed, then nothing.  Wardlow was getting pushed, then nothing, then was getting pushed, then nothing, so they killed him because they won't get a 3rd chance.  What the fuck ever happened to Wheeler Yuta?

They have their 10-15 guys who they really have plans for, and a cast of thousands who just come and go from week to week as if it's your local VFW Hall and you're just waiting to see who will show up.  Oooohhhhh look, my local indy brought in Jeff Cobb this week.  Cool.  We won't see him again for 3 years.

Not moving the needle when she was healthy


Nor is Mercedes Mone'

She's lived  up to my expectations.

There's guys like MJF who I had no expectations of and wete brilliant. There's guys like Edge who was a massive star (and I was never a fan but he was a big star) who's not been much in AEW.

As someone who only saw one or two of his matches before AEW but read a lot about him I'll go with Omega.

My other answer is Tony Khan.

I don't think its his fault as much as others mentioned here but I sure expected more out of Jay White than the Bang Bang Scissor Gang. He main evented a sold old out Madison Square Garden.

Adam Copeland has been very good since they dropped the "Cope-Open" gimmick. He's not good enough to be having dream matches, but the current story with the House of Black is being done well.

Kenny Omega's injuries have been a big disappointment, along with Adam Page continually leaving for long stretches. There was clearly a long-term story building with them and the Bucks that we have lost. Omega not having one of his all-time singles classic matches in AEW was clearly part of the story, but we never got the point when he finally had that match. Hopefully he gets back in the ring, because I wat to see him against Ospreay, Okada, Danielson and Page.

Apart from that match with Daddy Ass, Jay White has been really good in everything he has done. It might not be at the top of the card, but you need feuds in the middle of the card too (looking at you, WWE). Jay White-PAC is ticking along nicely at the moment.

There have been some disappointing signings, mainly of ex-WWE guys, but that's more to do with people that should never have been signed: Shawn Spears (Cody's friends, but no better than a good hand), Miro (terrible in-ring), CJ Perry (heart not in it, maybe because she split with Miro right when she signed), Keith Lee (clearly has some serious medical issues), Andrade (always wanted to go back to WWE when it was clear that Charlotte was staying there, has a terrible attitude and is getting nothing now that he's back "home"), Danhausen (was that gimmick ever going to work on TV? Orange Cassidy changed up his indie comedy gimmick), Matt and Jeff Hardy (nostalgia act, but past the point when can work any kind of program with anyone), Jeff Jarrett (why?).

By the way, it might have been getting better ratings, but go back and watch some early AEW. Boy, oh, boy. Of course, the top of the card was still fantastic, but there was also a lot of TV time given to bottom-of-the-barrel talents like Marko Stunt, Big Swole, The Librarians, Michael Nakazawa's oil gimmick, The Dark Order pre-Mr. Brodie Lee, Kip Sabian, Brandi Rhodes.

Maybe Cody Rhodes is AEW's biggest disappointment. Almost immediately he built a bubble around his angles and didn't interact with any of the other top guys. Booking himself in a angle which ended with him not being able to challenge for the world title, which seems to be his reason to live. Awful feuds with Anthony Agogo and QT Marshall. Giving his wife too much time on the mic. Shitting the bed live on TV when he couldn't get his gimmick over. Clearly talented, but when given complete control over his own stories, he couldn't cut it at the elite level (pun intended).

Ans bubbling under are two guys who should be great, but seem to have poor attitudes, Sammy Guevara and Ricky Starks. I hope Starks finds what he's looking for in WWE.