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AEW President Tony Khan has undergone a turbulent period in the last couple of weeks. The post-All Out media scrum and the subsequent backstage brawl was a public relations nightmare for his company. The suspensions of former AEW World Champion CM Punk and inaugural Trios Champions The Elite have left a huge talent shortage at the top of the card.
Over in WWE, Triple H's ascension to Head of Creative breathed new life into the promotion after bringing back a whole host of former stars. These included Karrion Kross, Braun Strowman, IYO SKY, and Dakota Kai, plus Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, among others. The storylines have been infinitely better, and the wrestlers seem revitalized by the change in leadership.
With momentum firmly in WWE's corner, Tony Khan needs to find solutions to improve morale within his company and create compelling television once again. There are several issues that need addressing immediately. Here are five big decisions Tony Khan must make to make All Elite Wrestling great again.
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#5. Scrap ROH on AEW television
Back in March 2022, Tony Khan bought Ring of Honor. The popular independent promotion has been an influential force in pro wrestling in the last 20 years, helping to shape the productive careers of current top stars in both WWE and AEW.
ROH previously went on hiatus in late 2021 with plans for a full-on restructuring of the brand after the pandemic caused several live event cancelations. With Khan's buyout, there was hope that the promotion could be given a new lease of life with a possible television deal in place. However, that doesn't seem to be the case at this point in time.
Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer Live that the AEW president simply seized the opportunity to buy ROH when it came. Instead of having real plans for the promotion, he did so in response to WWE expressing interest in it.
WWE and AEW are known as two fierce competitors. According to Alvarez, WWE was in the race to acquire ROH, and so were others who would have had different plans for the company. However, Khan didn't want the opportunity to slip by, and seized it.
It's clear from Khan's haphazard booking of ROH title matches and competitors that he doesn't have a clear direction. Apart from falling out with former ROH Champion Jonathan Gresham, he only gave Claudio Castagnoli a short reign before booking him to lose against Chris Jericho at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.
While putting the world title on The Ocho is a way to keep ROH relevant as Tony shops for a television deal, the fact remains that there are just too many championships in AEW right now.
When you add the ROH title, PURE title, ROH Television title, and ROH Tag Team titles, it is just overkill at this point. Khan should simply scrap any Ring of Honor presence in AEW programming until it finds a new home or exclusive show.
At most, Khan should do rare crossover matches once in a while as a way to cross-promote. But nothing more than that.
#4. Make AEW Rampage a live two-hour show
AEW has a stacked roster, and only so much talent can be featured on three hours of television. Two hours of Dynamite and an hour of Rampage lend precious TV time to a company with almost as many wrestlers as WWE.
WWE has five hours of television for their significant shows, and that's before including NXT, and they even have a tough time showcasing everyone. Simply put, All Elite Wrestling needs the second hour of Rampage to give their wrestlers more opportunities to shine.
Some fans might point to Dark and Elevation as an alternative, but it's clear only the diehards watch those shows. It's a great way to give reps to the less experienced talents or stars lower on the totem pole.
The second hour of Rampage could help build TV exposure for the Women's division or raise the prestige of the TNT Championship and All-Atlantic Championship.
While we're not advocating for a complete brand split just yet, perhaps making Rampage the home of certain stars can help build that connection amongst the fans. There was a time when Hook was used primarily on Friday nights to the point where it was dubbed his show.
Keep the major stars in Dynamite since it's the flagship program, but use Rampage as a breeding ground for women or rising stars.
#3. Make William Regal an authority figure in AEW
William Regal has been a brilliant addition to All Elite Wrestling, but there's still a feeling that he could be doing so much more. He currently serves as the manager and mouthpiece for the Blackpool Combat Club.
He would usually sit in the commentary for matches involving Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli. While Regal is highly entertaining in that role, especially when he teases Excalibur, his hiring should have signaled a move toward installing a General Manager for the show.
The programming has suffered without an authority figurehead to announce the matches and book the programs between talents. Unfortunately, Tony Khan does not have the charisma for television, nor should be the one getting involved in storylines. But he already has the perfect candidate within his organization.
Regal is wasted on commentary and in a managerial role. He was excellent in his previous role as NXT's General Manager and Director of Talent Development, and Head of Global Recruiting at the time of his WWE release.
The former ECW Champion had a major hand in WWE's scouting (and, in many cases, subsequent signings) of countless prominent independent talents throughout the 2010s.
Regal would be an excellent figure to exercise control over the chaotic nature of Dynamite and Rampage right now.
#2. Push homegrown talent and underutilized stars
AEW might have a stacked roster, but it seems like only a few wrestlers are being pushed consistently. The likes of Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo, and Miro joined the company with a ton of momentum, but for some reason or another, they have fallen by the wayside.
Black recently requested some time off, and Miro has been absent from television for quite a while. In a recent interview with Más Lucha, Andrade admitted that he feels like his career is stagnant, possibly adding fuel to the rumors of an impending exit:
"Right now I feel a little stagnant. I feel like I want more. I feel like although I have a good contract, the schedule is good. I like the schedule because WWE was inhuman, it was quite a lot."
The former NXT star's upcoming match in this week's Rampage, where he might be forced to quit the company if he loses per the stipulation, could possibly hint at the inevitable. Tony Khan shouldn't have let it come to this.
Khan needs to make it a point to highlight these stars correctly and not take them for granted. It's great that he is putting the spotlight on younger stars such as Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia, but he shouldn't ignore the likes of Ricky Starks or Powerhouse Hobbs, who seem like the more complete package.
With CM Punk, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks suspended, why not push these underutilized wrestlers to fill those spots? Miro and Andrade would be great additions to the world title scene and realistic contenders for Jon Moxley, for example. TK has done a great job in booking The Acclaimed to win the tag titles, but they should be the rule, not the exception.
#1. Bring back CM Punk
This might be a divisive hot take, but Tony Khan should absolutely work on bringing back CM Punk. He may have caused the company a lot of drama and negative press thanks to his outburst back at the All Out media scrum, but he is undisputedly the biggest star.
Punk is a lightning rod for controversy, admittedly, but whenever Tony brings him back, it will be must-see television. Not only is The Straight Edge Superstar a proven ratings draw, but he can also help attract casuals to tune in once again. In the face of WWE's growing momentum, Tony will need absolutely every weapon in his arsenal.
It might take a lot of effort to heal the wounds, but if Khan can convince CM Punk to come back and do business with The Elite, it could draw the biggest gate for AEW ever.
