It’s healthy in any industry to have more than one outlet. No one company should be a monopoly. In AEW’s case, it’s been a boon in many aspects. It gave fans more of a space to broaden their horizons while providing an accessible alternative to WWE. It addressed several other markets that were previously neglected, most notably serving as a new major television promotion in North America.
However, most importantly, it’s lent wrestlers a huge opportunity to make the best of themselves. All by simply being elite.
As such, I thought it’d be pretty neat and important to document exactly how AEW has changed things in this regard. It may be apparent to some, but it needs to be addressed.
Jumping Ship from WWE
In the 2010s, the giant that stood as the biggest pillar in pro wrestling grew stagnant. Only the top stars were doing well and were set. To that extent, they were essentially lifers. Further down the card, though, were wrestlers with untapped potential. In the ring, wrestlers who’d previously put on classic matches in smaller venues on the independent scene were performing for so little in return. Even their charisma paid little dividends.
For what WWE was going for, and to an extent is still somewhat going for, this wasn’t quite a fit. Sure, they might get an LA Knight or a Jacob Fatu or a Gunther who’ve exceeded expectations farther than they would under its previous regime. In that respect, they’re doing well. But AEW operates under a different system. While they’ve vastly improved the charisma and promo levels in their talents, AEW has a semi-great reputation for rewarding work rate.
That isn’t to say that’s the case for everyone. Sometimes people are lost in the shuffle, or others view it only as a stepping stone to return to WWE. In that sense, it’s an image rehabilitator. In the case of other wrestlers, those who have stayed loyal to the company have seen immeasurable success.
For instance, Toni Storm has reinvented herself as something timeless, far from the woman who got pied in the face on SmackDown. Swerve Strickland is twice the size he was as Isiah “Swerve” Scott, both in physical form and levels as a performer. Others might not have reached such levels, but odds are, they’re doing better in a place where they wouldn’t have in their previous place of employment.
And where a change of scenery would have made a difference for them, imagine those who formerly couldn’t even pay their bills or rent on time getting the same chance.
Hope for the Independent Hopefuls
Immediately, I’m sure almost everyone reading this will think of Eddie Kingston and his fiery debut against TNT Champion Cody Rhodes. How he strutted into Daily’s Place, dropping a level of vitriol most fans weren’t used to, especially on national television. It instantly put him on the map. I’m sure others could point out how it elevated wrestlers like Ricky Saints (formerly known as Ricky Starks), Kyle Fletcher, MJF, and Darby Allin.
But it’s Kingston and recent comments by Powerhouse Hobbs that inspired this article. Hobbs, in a recent interview with The Drive – 96.5 The Fan, featured him retelling how he joined the roster.
Initially hesitant, Hobbs took a few hours to respond, not believing the offers by QT Marshall and Cody Rhodes to join AEW to be legitimate. It’s understandable, him having been laid off from his full-time job and unable to find work—this was in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Needless to say, AEW’s been life-changing for pro wrestlers. Considering the current job market in the 2020s, finding employment is rough. Moving from unemployment to stardom could possibly be years, maybe months, after signing a contract; a true Cinderella story. Your talent is your glass slipper.
The Wrestling Employment Environment of 2025
Recalling the current plight of Ridge Holland, it’s not like WWE’s some conveyor belt of money and fame. NXT and NXT UK talent in the past struggled to pay bills on time. Even under such a big name. Far from swimming in a sea of money like Scrooge McDuck. That’s not even considering the WWE ID and EVOLVE situation, where multiple indie hopefuls were released from their contracts.
Of these releases, some have announced their retirement, such as Zara Zakher and Jamar Hampton. After being so close to the heights they’d longed for, it has to be soul-crushing. Most wrestlers, after a WWE release, often have lingering effects, changing who they are on a fundamental level.
The pay for WWE ID, EVOLVE, and NXT is at a point where talent view their time in the company as a net negative, financially. Jasmyn Nyx herself willingly opted out of renewing her NXT contract. In times where people can make money online doing what their hearts desire, is it really worth it? Talents are seeing themselves as no longer needing the name of WWE.
I’m not implying that AEW had a direct part in it. AEW might not have had a part in it at all whatsoever. But the landscape is changing. Times are different.
What Comes Next?
It’s excellent that AEW is in a place where prospects can see it as an institution to become a star or at least stay on top of finances. And it’s excellent that talents know when they can walk away from WWE, or that some can find a way to land a nice place on the card. The long-term effects of AEW’s existence have changed a stagnant industry, and this is one of many facets.
In time, however, I suspect that another major United States promotion is due to crop up. Backed by another billionaire or corporation, I envision a network that treats professional wrestling as a viable means of entertainment worth investing in. That’s the American hope, these days, to land somewhere spectacular in the face of persistent adversity.
But that’s not concrete; nothing’s set in stone. The closest we’ll have is TNA. In the meantime, the more AEW takes chances on unknown and unrecognized talent, the better off the industry is.
You never know who is going to break out, and whose life will change.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube
