5 AEW wrestlers who could get lost in the shuffle in 2022

2021 has been a fantastic year for AEW. Not only have they snatched up some of the best wrestlers in the business, but they've been able to pull some of the best matches of the year. Calling them a "t-shirt selling company" now is not just a bad joke but completely wrong.

The list of names that debuted this year has been a dream come true for fans, from Adam Cole to CM Punk, and even Jay Lethal recently. But where does that leave some of the guys who have already been with the company for some time?

There are a handful of wrestlers who seem to be slowly fading into the background.

Some wrestlers are just not being utilized or have taken a step back after a non-successful push. AEW could be preparing some of them for a major shift in their careers but things are currently looking a bit bleak.

AEW has a massive roster, and one that's possibly too big. It wouldn't take much for wrestlers to get lost as AEW shuffles things around and builds new stars. Hopefully Rampage gets an extra hour so that wrestlers like these 5 get more opportunity to shine.

5. AEW seems to have forgotten about Brian Cage

Where is The Machine these days?

Brian Cage is still very active on social media, but he seems to have taken five steps back since suffering a defeat at the hands of Ricky Starks.

Cage used to be a member of AEW's Team Tazz until his team members turned on him. This made for a great feud to put Starks over and make him seem more legitimate. In the end, Cage ended up seeming weaker for losing against someone far smaller than him.

Unfortunately, even though his in ring work is very good, Cage's promos were lacking.

Promos are important, especially for a champion. Cage doesn't seem to have the hang of them yet, which makes all the excellent promos in AEW overshadow him. Hopefully Cage is working on his mic skills or is getting a manager to assist him.

Regardless of all of this, Brian Cage is still the last person to beat current AEW champion, Hangman Page, in a singles match. A surprising win over the cowboy back in April left Cage looking fantastic and dominating. The contrast between Cage then and Cage now is unfortunate. Hopefully he returns soon with newfound momentum.

4. AEW hasn't done anything with Frankie Kazarian for too long

Frankie Kazarian is one of AEW's veteran wrestlers. Kazarian has had a career beginning in the late 90s. He's been in IMPACT Wrestling, WWE, and various other promotions and held titles in every one of them. Kazarian is truly a champion wrestler, and the fact that he's been seemingly sidelined is disappointing.

Kazarian was a member of AEW's SCU stable for most of his beginning run. As a part of SCU he was one half of the inaugural Tag Team Champions with Scorpio Sky. After Sky left SCU to pursue a singles run, Kazarian was left with the third SCU member, Christopher Daniels.

The two ended up splitting after an ultimatum of one more loss was declared by Daniels. SCU split after being defeated by The Young Bucks. Kazarian then went his own way, attacking any member of The Elite when they'd cheat or run their mouths. He became a vigilante character, the "Elite Hunter."

As interesting as this turn was, AEW didn't go anywhere with it. Kazarian never won against The Elite and only managed to attack them. Now that Omega and the Bucks aren't champions, The Elite have taken a much different role. Because of this Kazarian can't hunt anyone. Hopefully AEW does something interesting before fans forget about the veteran wrestler.

3. AEW have moved away from pushing Kris Statlander

Kris Statlander made her professional wrestling debut just five years ago in 2016. Afterwards she had very brief appearances in WWE before fully debuting at AEW. Statlander is still very young but there's a lot of potential for her.

Statlander wrestles in AEW with an "alien" gimmick. She's billed as "The Galaxy's Greatest Alien" and has a good natured persona. Her in-ring work is very powerful with lots of lifts and slams. Stalander was able to pick up both Jamie Hayter and Reba in a segment a few months ago. These feats of strength are usually what get the fans behind her, although she's never shown any promo skills.

From 2019 to 2020, Statlander received a heavy push, which included two title shots (one against Riho and the next against Nyla Rose). Unfortunately she suffered an ACL injury and was sidelined for nearly a year. Statlander returned on March 31st at AEW Dynamite, joining The Best Friends.

Since her return, she had one shot at the title but lost. Since losing, Statlander has taken a major backseat, only appearing alongside Orange Cassidy as backup. Statlander is a talented star but if this keeps up she might just be forgotten by the fans.

2. AEW has taken a step back from pushing Christian Cage

Christian Cage debuted during AEW Revolution and immediately signed a contract, picking up a win in his debut match against Frankie Kazarian. Shortly after, Cage participated in the Casino Battle Royal, where he was eliminated by Jungle Boy.

Cage had kept an undefeated streak for quite some time, defeating wrestlers like Matt Hardy and Angélico. Because of all the matches he won, Cage shot up to the top in the AEW rankings. He was crowned Number One Contender and got a title shot against the then-champion, Kenny Omega.

Christian Cage defeated Kenny Omega and picked up the IMPACT championship during the inaugural AEW Rampage episode. Cage made a few appearances at IMPACT Wrestling, which reduced his AEW appearances. Cage then faced Omega at All-Out where he was defeated, marking his first loss since debuting.

Since then Cage has lost the IMPACT championship and taken a less prominent role in AEW. He now supports Jurassic Express when they go against bigger groups like The Elite. Cage seems to be helping Jungleboy grow and become a better wrestler instead of trying for another title shot. It's disappointing to see Cage doing less while he's still able to put on great matches.

1. Miro might be taking an unexpected step back

Since being released by WWE, Miro has gone through quite an impressive character change.

At AEW, Miro shows more personality, showcasing some of his best promo work. At first he acted as muscle for Kip Sabian as his "Best Man." Miro was a gamer who seemed to be "the best" at everything he did, before taking his first loss alongside Sabian, which led to him attacking Sabian and breaking the team up.

Sometime after Miro began a feud with the then-TNT champion, Darby Allin. Miro would go on to defeat Allin, becoming champion, which further altered his persona as he then went by "The Redeemer." His title reign would last for 140 days, before ultimately being defeated by Sammy Guevara.

After losing to Guevara, Miro would disappear from televised episodes of AEW. Miro has only cut a few promos, hinting at becoming even more aggressive in the ring. He would take the place of Jon Moxley in the AEW World Title Eliminator Tournament, defeating Orange Cassidy in his first appearance since losing the title.

Miro ended up losing to Bryan Danielson. Even though this loss didn't hurt him too much, Miro might be taking another backseat after this appearance. A dominant run before fans forget him should happen soon. Miro has done more than enough to prove himself at AEW and the Bulgarian powerhouse deserves more opportunities to be thrown his way.