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AEW has an incredibly stacked roster right now. With precious little television time to share, it's inevitable that several wrestlers will get lost in the shuffle and not be used at all.
All Elite Wrestling President and head booker Tony Khan certainly has his favorites, judging by the wrestlers that are featured prominently on the card. However, it's clear that he is no longer interested in pushing certain talents.
While they are still booked on television, there are no concrete plans to push them up the card. Most feel like they are spinning their wheels until they eventually leave once their contracts run out. Here are five AEW wrestlers that Tony Khan has given up on.
#5. Former NXT wrestler Parker Boudreaux
Parker Boudreaux was billed as the next Brock Lesnar when he debuted in NXT. But it soon became apparent that he was still raw and needed a ton of training. His run as Harland in NXT 2.0 was forgettable. So it came as no surprise when he was released by the sports entertainment juggernaut in April 2022.
The 25-year-old would bounce back quickly by joining AEW shortly after, appearing on minor shows such as Rampage, Dark, and Dark: Elevation. But there was no concerted effort to push the young star, and he eventually fell into the background.
Parker's last televised match was at AEW Rampage all the way back in March, teaming up with Swerve Strickland in a loss to Keith Lee and Dustin. According to reports by Fightful Select, it seems like there is a lack of creative plans, which has led to his absence.
Perhaps Tony Khan realized Parker is not yet ready for the big time. Luckily, he has age on his side. It would benefit him to work on the independent scene and gain more experience before returning to the big time in the future.
#4. Former TNT Champion Miro
Miro's run in the AEW has been curious, to say the least. He debuted as the "Best Man" to Kip Sabian in 2020, which went nowhere before being reincarnated as "The Redeemer."
God's Favorite Champion then had a dominant run as TNT Champion, only to drop the title to Sammy Guevara and disappear from television for over a year. His absence from TV was because creative had nothing for him. There were rumors that Miro turned down a few storylines pitched to him, which caused him to extend his hiatus.
On the May 10 episode of Dynamite, Miro made a shocking return, and it was announced that he would be part of the brand-new show Collision. It seemed like he would finally be pushed into a monstrous main eventer.
However, there's only been a few squashes with no clear direction for his character moving forward. It's curious to see how Tony Khan will salvage the Bulgarian's career, but the signs are not promising so far.
#3. AEW Trios Champion Malakai Black
Despite being the current AEW Trios Champion and leading his own faction, the House of Black, it feels like the company has barely scratched the surface of Malakai Black's potential. He was treated like a huge star when Black first debuted in the company, facing Cody Rhodes at the time.
However, he was soon upstaged by newer signings like Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and CM Punk. The Dutchman would barely appear on television in a singles match over the next year. Thankfully, the faction gained some prominence once again after taking the Trios titles off of The Elite at the start of 2023. Like many of the wrestlers on the list, there was hope that Collision would be a clean slate for the former NXT Champion.
In an interview with Bobby Fish on the Undisputed podcast, Black revealed that he recently requested to be strictly featured on the Saturday program:
"I requested to be strictly on Collision. Because I don't want people to get the pick, it's like, no, Saturday night I get to see The House of Black, that's what I wanted. Because if I give you the option for Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, you're going to go, 'It doesn't really matter,'" Black said.
Perhaps it's a case of Tony Khan prioritizing other talents, but it's a surprise when you realize Malakai Black has not won a singles belt despite being in the company for nearly two years.
#2. Powerhouse Hobbs
Powerhouse Hobbs looks like a prototypical heavyweight wrestler that could main-event any major company. But when it comes to booking one of his hottest young stars, Tony Khan has failed Hobbs badly.
Despite being featured regularly on television, first as part of Team Taz and then as the TNT Champion, Hobbs has lost all his momentum since aligning with QT Marshall and his TMZ-inspired faction.
The booking of the 32-year-old has been confusing at best, and there's a genuine worry that Tony Khan is squandering the upstart's career before he can truly be elevated. How Tony can botch Powerhouse Hobbs' run in AEW so far is anyone's guess. But a lot of work will need to be done to bring him back to relevance once again.
#1. Wardlow
The most disappointing booking in the entire company has to be Wardlow. A year ago, he was the biggest babyface in the company after turning on MJF and squashing him at Double or Nothing 2022.
However, even though he is a three-time TNT Champion, his run with the belt was largely underwhelming. Wardlow's latest run saw him drop his TNT Championship to Luchasaurus on the premiere episode of Collision. He has disappeared from television since.
With his size and athleticism, Wardlow should have been this generation's Batista or Goldberg. Instead, Tony Khan has absolutely botched his booking and butchered his momentum. It's clear that War Daddy needs a hard reset. Perhaps Triple H could salvage his career in WWE if he leaves AEW.
