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It may not be a strain on their finances, since they’re virtually unlimited, but it makes it impossible to properly place emphasis on things that matter. It just becomes mathematically impossible. I saw something that pointed out that the AEW roster is actually more bloated than WCW’s was at its worst.
If Tony Khan had another promotion, or a series of little developmental things? Sure. But this is also factoring in to how people perceive them — both fans and talent.
Take Kevin Owens. He has friends there. A lot of people thought it was a given he was going. But that isn’t to say that he doesn’t appreciate his role in WWE, his connection to fans, his working relationship with Vince (and the other McMahons — he’s worked closely with almost all of them), sees an advantage in showing loyalty, or even just wants to make his family happy (for all we know, they could be massive WWE marks and not like AEW). But if he’s looking at what his ceiling is in AEW — is he going to get more spotlight than Danielson or Punk? Or even Malakai Black? And these are the worthy talents. He’s going to have to bust ass harder than ever to stand out there, and even then it’s just so crowded.
There needs to be some attention paid to streamlining this and booking a show that top names can slip into and really fit. Instead it’s just a hodgepodge of everything and everyone. And for all the Jake Atlases and Tone Neseseses (Nesi) you sign, and you need some guys like that, you eventually create a bloat that is going to block some artery that limits you.
I used to reason that this would at least be good for the video game. But when that game comes out, how is its story mode going to make any sense with the glut of people that are and aren’t getting focused on in seemingly alternating months? Is half the roster even going to be recognisable, let alone contemporarily relevant to players?
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