I Think AEW Has A Big Problem Nobody Talks About Enough

Sorry I should add, this was definitely something I remember coming up a LOT in AEW's infancy. Dustin and Luchasaurus were the only two on our lists that were there from the beginning, everyone else got added. There was 100% a story of "gee, we need some more hoss guys in this promotion", and then they went and got Archer, Brodie, Cage, Hobbs, etc. So it is something that 100% came up in the past.

They have plenty of talented big guys. Putting a title on them won’t matter as much. Drew McIntyre is a big dude and doesn’t draw crap for ratings lol

Naw forget TV ratings it's 2021 not 2001 or even 2011. TV ratings only matter to networks now. Drew McIntyre would have been a huge ticket draw if his entire main event run wasn't during the era of the covidiots.

I do think he would have a better year with a crowd, but they make him so corny sometimes that idk. His recent stuff has been solid though

I was a big proponent that AEW needed to beef up their roster early on. But I think they have, and it's added a lot of depth to the product. Look at the flip side. Billy Gunn is a very large man - who looked decidedly average when surrounded by a ton of even larger men in the 90's.

Who out there that is available fills that "big guy" role? There just aren't a lot of guys out there like that that I'm aware of in the indies. Even Wardlow was a deep cut signing when they brought him in. There was a time where every city had a Gramma B's, and the predominant style was slow and simple enough that with a little training you could take 6 meatheads and turn them into a draw (or the greatest tag team of all time). But that's not the business today. Look at how many decent big men there are across all of wrestling. And there's a reason why guys like Kane and Big Show can still command a big paycheck any time they step into the ring.

The last 30 years are full of big guys who got into the business, couldn't work, and never drew a dime. I think WWE's style is still geared toward big men, and big men who work a certain way. That's why I don't think Keith Lee will ever be as big as he could in WWE, because he doesn't work Vince's "big man style." But the WWE has been bringing in big, athletic, beefy ex-linemen for years, and the only ones who panned out in recent history that I can think of are Baron Corbin and Big E.

Should they be looking at scouting and signing bigger guys without experience and developing them? Probably some day, but their developmental just isn't that advanced yet. And even then, you're talking about elite athletic talent who can fit in with the faster paced style they work. It's one in a million, not something you can fill a roster of. The alternative is working a slower style more like the WWE, and if that's the case - then you're really are WWE lite.

So I guess my point is - sure, I'm sure TK, Vince, Court Bauer, Scott D'Amore, and everyone else would love to have more big guys who can work great. But they just don't grow on trees, which is why when they do tend to come along, they end up being world champs and HoF'ers. For the talent available to them, AEW has grabbed every big man who has come on the market except for Killer Kross. And time will tell whether that's one that is even worth losing sleep over.

it's more a case of balance than anything. the work rate revolution happened 18 years ago in ROH and was the culmination of the 'push it to the limit' style we now see in AEW. Heyman has stated early ROH would've been similar to where ECW was going, and considering Gabe was Paul's right hand man that's not too far out to believe.

WWE resisted this work rate revolution and doubled down on home developed talents that were more to their liking. this came to a boil with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, who broke the gates down and now we have the majority of wwe's roster former indie talent.

but now we have a product (AEW) that is everything that indie wrestling excelled in and is trying to develop that niche interest into a mainstream one instead of following what's been done by Vince and co.

I don't think sizeable athletes are denied entry - they just have to be able to 'go' and the reality is most larger guys can't at the pace AEW's product is. so maybe it isn't for those who want to see 'might is right' on display.

I'd rather have a smaller guy who can work than a Baron Corbin type who's big but can't do anything. Mox, Brodie, and Nyla are the biggest people to have won their respective titles in the company. If you're watching the product, they're pretty blatantly telling you just because someone is larger and stronger, they're not a better WRESTLER.

I'm not against them bringing in more big guys, but this current roster has enough big men on it to tell the stories they want to tell.

Also, if AEW were around the last several years they'd for sure have some of the larger guys the WWE have signed. Imagine Keith Lee with this roster...

They briefly brought in Jeff Cobb, but I don't think Jeff Cobb wanted to be tied down to a US TV contract at the time. After hearing Cobb I think on Jericho's podcast, it sounds like Cobb likes to have a flexible schedule where he can wrestle overseas in Japan and then take some time off and have a break when he needs it.

Look, there are only so many quality big men out there. I think Alex Hammerstone is great, but he's signed to MLW. MLW also signed Calvin Tankman and Logan Creed, who I also think are good prospects.

He could be really good. The deaners have been relatively minor (but entertaining) characters in impact, but I've thoroughly enjoyed watching independent Jake something matches.