In 2021, I did a series of columns called “Overpushed, Underpushed, or Just Right” where I looked at the rosters of WWE, NXT, and AEW and gave my personal opinions on who I thought was… overpushed, underpushed, or pushed just right.
I did the same thing again in 2023, with the landscape of each roster being drastically different between the two columns.
It has been a year-and-a-half since the 2023 series, and once again, the landscapes of each roster are drastically different since the last time I did this. Time for a new edition, no Bobby Brown.
Again, these are my opinions on the way wrestlers are being pushed as of the time of this column. Not their history, not their potential in the future, and so on. Wrestlers will be listed in alphabetical order, and if you don’t see someone included, it’s because they’ve been out of action for a lengthy period of time (injury, maternity leave, just plain old not being used, etc.) before I did the column.
For AEW, I will be including Ring Of Honor talents, but only if they’ve at least made their presence known on actual AEW television or pay-per-view more than once recently, or if they’re a title holder in RoH. I have to make some sort of “business decision” for myself to prevent the column from being longer than Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.” It’s already going to be a lengthy one, so be prepared.
Let’s get to it.
Action Andretti: Do you remember when Action Andretti pulled off the shocking upset victory over Chris Jericho? You ‘member? You ‘member. That feels like decades ago. It was two-and-a-half years ago, but AEW completely failed to capitalize on any momentum and shock value the win had. Now, Andretti is firmly planted as a guy who is good enough for Ring Of Honor, but on the fringe of not being “worthy” of AEW. If he’s in a match on AEW television, it’s probably going to be a loss, unless he’s facing Top Flight. He’s capable of more than that, and he had a connection with live crowds at one point, so I’m going with Underpushed here.
Adam Cole: Both Cole and MJF are still trying to wash the stink off of their “Devil” storyline and how it played out. Neither man has been the same since the storyline came to a screeching halt and heels became faces became heels became faces, and so on. Cole has what it takes to be a main event player in AEW, but it seems like he has a ways to go before he restores some of the shine he once had. An argument can be made that he’s Underpushed, but I’m going with Just Right. He is the TNT Champion, and that’s a definite step in the right direction, especially compared to where he once was.
Adam Page: “Hangman” is someone that has spent a lot of time at or near the top of the AEW card, but for good reason. Of course he can “go” in the ring, but the storylines he’s been a part of have caused him to have an incredible connection with the AEW fan base. They LOVE the guy. He’s THEIR guy, whether he’s the World Champion, chasing the World Champion, or anywhere else on the show. With All In just around the corner, he is challenging for the World Title on the company’s biggest show of the year, trying to become the champ again for the first time in over three years. He’s in the perfect spot right now. Just Right.
Angelo Parker: Did you know that the last time Angelo Parker was involved on the victorious side of a match on AEW television or pay-per-view was all the way back in October 2023? That was a six-man-tag (with Matt Menard and Daniel Garcia) win over The Hardys and Brother Zay. To find the last time Angelo was involved on the victorious side of a regular tag match on AEW television or pay-per-view, you have to go back to March 2023. He barely makes the cut for this column, only having four matches on television so far in 2025, and none in the last two months. I think the ship has sailed for 2.0 as any sort of threat in the AEW tag division. Just Right, simply because it makes logical sense that you need people on your roster to lose matches.
Anna Jay: At one time, I viewed Anna Jay as someone who had a very bright future. She was getting better in the ring all the time, and was connecting with live crowds. At such a young age, it looked like she had the potential to be something special. I’m still waiting for that. Blame her for it, blame AEW’s booking for it… blame anyone or anything you want. It just hasn’t happened. She’s not even 27 years old yet, so it’s not like it’s a wrap for her or anything. I just haven’t seen the growth (grow up) that I was hoping to see. Her 2024 looked like things were heading in the right direction. A televised win streak earned her two different shots against Mariah May for the AEW Women’s Title, but she was unsuccessful in both matches. Her 2025 has been rough, with her one and only televised win coming against enhancement talent. The potential is still there. She just needs… something… to get her to reach it. For now, let’s say Underpushed.
Anthony Bowens: For what seemed like a lifetime, I was calling for AEW to split The Acclaimed up. I’ve never been a fan of Max Caster, and I felt like he was holding his tag partner back. Eventually, the split happened, and I don’t know if I’m satisfied with how things have been going with Bowens. I know he’s capable of being a bigger deal in AEW as a singles wrestler, but so far, it hasn’t happened yet. He has beaten a few lower card wrestlers, and then lost to some upper card wrestlers. That seems to plant him squarely in the middle of the card, doesn’t it? For now, I’ll say his push is Just Right. It could be better, but it could be worse. We’re still in the early stages of the singles run, so we’ll have to wait and see where it goes from here.
AR Fox: The man turns 38 later this year, but it feels like I’ve been watching his career for 38 years at this point. That’s a compliment, by the way. He’s been so good for so long, and I’m glad he has gotten the chance to showcase his abilities to a bigger audience in AEW. Well… at least he has gotten the chance to be seen by a bigger audience. I’m not quite sure you can say he’s gotten a proper chance to showcase his abilities yet. The man hasn’t won a televised match since August 2023. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but August 2023 was a long time ago. That’s, like, four years ago or something. Yes, someone has to lose wrestling matches, but he’s too talented to be losing this many matches. Underpushed.
Athena: Underpushed. Hey, that was easy. She has been the RoH Women’s Champion for well over 900 days. She held the title for 16 months before she ever got to defend it on AEW television, and that was the only time she got to do so. That was well over a year ago! She has been absolutely dominant in Ring Of Honor, damn near without even sniffing AEW programming. Then, when she finally gets a high profile spot on AEW television, it’s to lose to Mercedes Moné (the first time Athena has been pinned since July 2023), and then she disappears again. Tony Khan should be thrown in the gulag for that.
Bandido: He’s an incredibly talented in-ring performer that has been dealing with some bad luck with injuries recently. As the current RoH World Champion, he has held the title for coming up on three months now. In that span, he has a total of one title defense. One. Singular. He had two eight-man tags during the month of May. That’s just weird booking. While he remains in a great spot in Ring Of Honor, he’s someone that should be in a great spot in AEW. Underpushed.
The Beast Mortos: I’m a big fan of TBM. He’s fun to watch with the Luchadores, as his power game is a fun opposing style for them to deal with. The issue with him, like almost all of the names from Mexico, is that he isn’t exactly out there doing character development and cutting promos. That automatically puts a ceiling on them all, and there’s a reason most of them end up spending most of their time in Ring Of Honor. Right now, TBM is getting a bit of a run on AEW television, but his spot is defined as someone who can have good matches with anyone, but he isn’t going to win matches against anyone who is remotely close to the top of the card. That’s perfectly acceptable. Just Right.
Big Bill: If you’ve been a reader of mine for a long time, you’ve seen my opinion on Big Bill change a ton through the years. When he was in WWE, I was very tough on him. He seemed to stop caring about his physique, and he was just going through the motions. We would later find out that he was dealing with some serious issues with alcohol and depression. He had a couple of highly publicized incidents in his post-WWE stint, and that helped him to make the decision to sober up and turn his life around. He’s in the best shape of his career now, and has developed a genuine connection with AEW crowds, even as a heel. However, like almost everything else that is involved with Chris Jericho in recent years, Bill isn’t feeling any benefits on the card. Sure, he gets some television time, but I think the aforementioned connection with live crowds means he could/would/should get television time without Jericho. Right now, I’m going with Underpushed, because he remains firmly in the “beats lower level wrestlers easily, but loses to everyone else” tier. He deserves better, and if the current AEW Tag Team Champions didn’t look completely unbeatable and unstoppable, he and Bryan Keith would make for a good choice as the champs.
Billie Starkz: Like a lot of her colleagues, Billie is completely stuck in Ring Of Honor limbo, barely making any sort of appearances in AEW, and when she does, it’s probably to lose. She’s still super young (she won’t even celebrate her 21st birthday until two weeks before Christmas), so it’s not like her career has been ruined, but I do think she’s being wasted in RoH. She didn’t sign an AEW contract at 18 years old because she’s bad in the ring, after all. Underpushed.
Bishop Kaun: In case you haven’t noticed already, the whole “Ring Of Honor wrestlers losing all their matches on AEW television” thing is a running theme. There’s a catch here, though! Bishop Kaun has been on the winning end of three matches on AEW television so far in 2025! Of course, all three of those matches came against enhancement talent. The last time he saw a win against AEW contracted talent was August of last year, when he and Toa Liona defeated Bear Country, which… isn’t exactly saying much. June of last year against Private Party? Does that count? I think you get the point. While I do think Kaun and Liona are an entertaining team, I’m going with Just Right here. They haven’t had a chance (whether it’s their fault or not is irrelevant) to really connect with AEW crowds yet.
Bobby Lashley: Man, this is a really interesting one. Bobby is one of the biggest, baddest dudes in all of professional wrestling. Even though he’s about to turn 49 any day now (depending on the date this column goes live), he still looks like a God walking amongst mere mortals. Making it even worse is the fact that AEW’s roster features smaller-statured wrestlers up and down the card. That’s not a knock on AEW, mind you. It’s just facts. Guys like Gunther, Bronson Reed, Jacob Fatu, Otis, Ivar, and so on aren’t all over the AEW roster. That makes big, bad Bobby look even bigger, badder, and Bobbier. You’ve probably seen this opinion from all corners of Danielle Fishel’s internet, but it’s almost like Bobby Lashley is TOO big and bad for AEW. That’s not even counting pairing him up with Shelton Benjamin, who is one of the greatest amateur wrestlers and pure athletes that the sport has ever seen. With all that said, I’m going to go with Underpushed here, but for one simple reason. He’s on an entirely different level than the rest of the AEW tag scene. I was really hoping that AEW would bring Cedric Alexander in, letting him team with Shelton, while Lashley went to the World Title scene, but with Cedric recently showing up in TNA, I don’t know if that’s in the cards. As it is, Lashley doesn’t “belong” in the tag team scene, and isn’t being used “right” while he’s there.
Brian Cage: He barely makes the cut for this column, as he’s been out of action for the last three months after a quad injury on an independent show. While he was out with the torn quad, he decided to get another surgery he was going to have at some point this year, and that’s a knee replacement. We have no idea when he’ll return to the ring, but what we do know is that he is pretty squarely set on the AEW card. He’s another wrestler that is going to be successful against enhancement talent and lower card names, but not find much success against everyone else. Right now, I think that’s Just Right. While I wouldn’t say he’s injury prone, he is definitely dealing with more injuries over the last few years than he did when he was younger. If he can get beyond that, I’d probably like to see him get some sort of a singles push in AEW, even though he’ll probably return to the ring after his 42nd birthday.
Brody King: Underpushed. If you’ve been reading my stuff, you knew what I would say here. Some people were worried about Brody when Malakai Black left AEW, but if anything, it has been a blessing in disguise for the big man. He has gotten more and more over with live crowds, and has continued to have great matches against the top tier names in the company. Unfortunately, he tends to lose more of those matches against top tier names. Honestly, I think he’s ready for a main event run, and I think a large portion of the AEW fan base would agree.
Bryan Keith: Big Bill’s tag team partner gets a lot of the same attention here. He’s Underpushed, because I think he’s being hurt by his connection to Chris Jericho. If he wasn’t dealing with that, and also if the current AEW Tag Team Champions didn’t come across as unbeatable, he and Bill would make for some legitimate contenders for the titles.
Buddy Matthews: I went back and forth on whether or not to even include him here, as he has been on the shelf for over four months with an ankle injury. Ultimately, I decided to include him, because, by his own words, he is hoping to be back in the ring at any time now. At the end of April, he was hoping to be back within the “next few weeks.” Obviously, he’s in a similar position to Brody King, as many felt Buddy would be in trouble with Malakai Black leaving the company. As great as Buddy is in the ring, though, he almost “blends in” with a lot of the AEW roster, whereas Brody King stands out immediately. I do think Buddy is Underpushed, though. He has everything needed to be a singles champion of some sort in AEW. I know some people would say that, perhaps, his mic skills aren’t where they should be for a role like that. However, as I’ve said a bunch of times in the past, that doesn’t matter anywhere near as much in AEW as it would in WWE. WWE is all about the over-the-top personalities and characters, so not having top tier mic skills can be a major detriment to your career there. In AEW, the fans focus much more on what you can do in the ring, and Buddy Matthews can “go.” He could be one of their midcard champions with no problem whatsoever.
Carlie Bravo: Here’s another name that barely made the cut, as he hasn’t wrestled on AEW television in over three months. A mini-flurry of matches from mid-January to mid-March keeps him here, though, even if only one match saw him victorious… and that was a six-man tag against enhancement talent. You have to go back to March of last year to find his last win over non-enhancement talent, and that’s when he and Shawn Dean defeated Brody King and Buddy Matthews, which tells me just about all I need to know about Tony Khan. AEW fans haven’t been given a reason to know who Carlie Bravo is, let alone truly care about him. His push is Just Right. I guess. Whatever.
Cash Wheeler: AEW might be home to the two most polarizing tag teams in the entire sport… FTR and The Young Bucks. You either love them and think they’re all-time greats, or you think they’re terrible and have no business getting the amount of television time they get. There’s no in between. Right now, FTR are doing well as heels. I both love and hate that they’re getting legitimate time to push a tag story that has nothing to do with the Tag Team Titles. It’s great, because it shows the depth of the division. I think it’s awful, though, because you probably want your best teams, makeshift or otherwise, going for the Tag Titles, ESPECIALLY when the champions are as dominant as they are. Cash is seeing a lot of success these days. He and Dax haven’t been on the losing end of a match since Dynasty in April, which is what led to their heel turn in the first place. The buzz is that their run is leading to them facing a reunited Adam Copeland and Christian Cage. That’s fine and all, and would probably make for a great match, but I want to see Cash and Dax going after the titles again. We’re coming up on two years since FTR held the AEW tag belts, and even as a heel vs heel match, I think Lashley & Shelton vs FTR would be super fun. For right now, let’s say Just Right, but we’re going to veer into Underpushed territory soon.
Chris Jericho: Overpushed. Next.
Christian Cage: It’s weird to include him, as he hadn’t wrestled in over three months. As far as I’ve seen, there weren’t any reports of him being injured, but he has stayed around pretty regularly, working on his storyline with Nick Wayne. When Christian was wrestling, he wasn’t exactly on a hot streak. He only had three matches in 2025 until recently, and he lost all three of them. You had to go back to December to find the last time he won a match, and you still have to go back to October to find the last time he won a singles match. It’s weird to think that he’s going from that to potentially a huge reunion with Adam Copeland here soon, but that appears to be in the works. This might seem strange to some of you, but I’m going with Overpushed here. It isn’t directly his fault, but whenever he’s on AEW programming, it means that the atrocious acting of Nick Wayne and his mother are probably on, as well. He needs to go away for a while, and perhaps get a refresh. That might be coming, though, with that possible reunion with his best friend, but we’ll see.
Claudio Castagnoli: His 2025 has been all over the place. He came into the year as part of the Trios Champions, and he was on a hot streak, winning seven of his first ten matches on television or pay-per-view. Then, the Trios Titles were dropped to Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Katsuyori Shibata, sending Claudio’s year into a spiral. Counting the title loss, he has lost six of his last seven matches, with his only win coming in a singles bout against Komander. Claudio is someone who could be a World Title type of guy, and I don’t just mean in Ring Of Honor, where he won that brand’s top title twice in 2022. As it is, he plays a background role to Jon Moxley, whose story has been a huge burden on the overall AEW product for months. Not good. Underpushed. At least he’s a regular on television, so I guess there’s that.
Cope: That’s probably the first time I’ve referred to him as “Cope.” It will probably be the last time I refer to him as “Cope.” Just saying. He’s been away from AEW programming for over three months, but in his case, it’s just to sell the heinous attack at the hands of FTR at Dynasty in April. Before being “injured,” he had a pretty interesting 2025. In matches that didn’t feature a title of any sort on the line, he’s 7-1 on the year, with his only loss coming in a tag team Street Fight. However, when a title is on the line, he’s 0-3 on the year. If he just stays away from all the titles in AEW, he’ll be just fine. In all seriousness, I really do like Adam Copeland, both as a wrestler and as a human being… but he’s Overpushed. The only people getting the “rub” by working with him are those who don’t need it whatsoever. When you bring in a veteran like him, ideally, you’d want to have him help get one or more people over, and maybe even get them to the next level in their careers. We haven’t seen that at all in his AEW run. The closest thing we’ve seen to it is when Malakai Black pinned him during a trios match at Dynasty 2024. What did that lead to? Copeland successfully defended his TNT Title against Buddy Matthews, and then against Brody King, and then against Black. He defeated the entire House Of Black within a month of that Dynasty loss. I’m not saying Copeland should be wrestling on random episodes of Collision and losing to lower-tier guys. There is a balance to be found, though, between having him get other people over and having him show that he is, indeed, one of the greatest performers the sport has ever seen.
Daniel Garcia: You know how I keep mentioning how nobody working with Chris Jericho can advance because he’s holding them back? The same can be said for Matt Menard, albeit on a much lesser level. Menard is the albatross around the neck of Garcia and his potential success. Garcia’s 2025 has been split into two categories. First, you have his singles run, where he has a 5-2-3 record. For every other match, he has a 3-8 record. AEW has tried to push Garcia on multiple occasions, and then it seems to fizzle out for one reason or another. His detractors almost always point to his lack of an over-the-top personality, but as I’ve already said in this column, that doesn’t matter as much in AEW. In WWE, he’d have a very difficult time getting over with live crowds, but in AEW, the fans appreciate in-ring work a lot more. Right now, he’s in a decent enough spot… as long as he works singles matches, apparently. Let’s say his push is Just Right for the time being. Now, if he could just get rid of Matt Menard.
Dante Martin: When it comes to the members of Top Flight, their matches fall right back into that very predictably category we’ve talked about a bunch already in this column. Are their opponents anything close to being a big deal in AEW? Then Top Flight is going to lose. Everything else? There’s a pretty good chance they’re going to win. Their highest profile win on AEW television so far in 2025 was a victory over Action Andretti and Lio Rush… who they promptly lost to three weeks later. At one point, Top Flight was viewed as one of the top tag teams in all of AEW, but their terrible luck with injuries seemed to push them back down the card. Could they revisit the old glory? It’s certainly possible. Not many people expected Private Party to become the Tag Team Champions in 2024, but they did, so there’s definitely a chance for Top Flight. For now, though, I think their push is Just Right. They’re super entertaining. They just have a bunch of other teams ahead of them, vying for the top spots.
Darius Martin: When it comes to the members of Top Flight, their matches fall right back into that very predictably category we’ve talked about a bunch already in this column. Are their opponents anything close to being a big deal in AEW? Then Top Flight is going to lose. Everything else? There’s a pretty good chance they’re going to win. Their highest profile win on AEW television so far in 2025 was a victory over Action Andretti and Lio Rush… who they promptly lost to three weeks later. At one point, Top Flight was viewed as one of the top tag teams in all of AEW, but their terrible luck with injuries seemed to push them back down the card. Could they revisit the old glory? It’s certainly possible. Not many people expected Private Party to become the Tag Team Champions in 2024, but they did, so there’s definitely a chance for Top Flight. For now, though, I think their push is Just Right. They’re super entertaining. They just have a bunch of other teams ahead of them, vying for the top spots.
Dax Harwood: I’ve already talked about Dax’s tag partner, so obviously, the same thing applies here for him. FTR are doing really well right now, and seeing a lot of success, but soon, I’d like to see it lead to some bigger and better things for them. Yes, a potential match against a reunited Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, in their first tag together since 2011, is a big deal, but I mean beyond that in the longer run. Right now, FTR is being pushed Just Right, but they’re getting close to Underpushed territory as they continue searching for meaning in the madness.
Deonna Purrazzo: She probably shouldn’t even be included in this column, as she hasn’t wrestled on AEW television in over four months at this point. Of course she’s still a really talented in-ring performer, but the hole she has been placed in is slowly becoming too big and too deep to climb out of. She hasn’t beaten an AEW contracted wrestler on AEW television since last July, when she defeated Thunder Rosa in a Lumberjill Match. No matter who is to blame for it, she is nowhere near the game changing free agent signing that some declared her to be when she arrived in AEW. Underpushed.
Dralistico: We’re all friends here, right? Can I be completely honest with all of you? There has been multiple occasions when I completely forgot who Dralistico was and that he was a member of the AEW roster. That sounds like a knock on him, but it really isn’t. It’s more a commentary on the number of seemingly “random” Luchadores that have been featured on AEW. Dralistico has been featured somewhat regularly on AEW television in 2025, almost always with fellow Lucha names and facing other Lucha names. He is yet another wrestler where you already know how a match is going to go, simply based on who his opponent(s) are. Is it someone low on the proverbial totem pole? Dralistico is going to be on the winning side. Everyone else? Sorry, pal, but you’re going to lose. You could say he’s Underpushed because he isn’t really winning much, that he’s Overpushed because he’s taking up some television time that could go to someone else, or that he’s pushed Just Right because he’s in an inoffensive spot on the card. You’d be right, no matter what you picked. I’m going to go ahead and say he’s Overpushed, unfortunately. Other names “deserve” the spot more. Besides, I can’t just say 50 members of the roster are Underpushed, and 50 others are pushed Just Right. That’s not how it works.
Dustin Rhodes: This is another easy one for me. Underpushed. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it in my columns, but this man is 56 years old, but is in better shape than he’s been for damn near most of his career. He’s still putting on some entertaining matches, and yet, he still spends the majority of his time stuck in Ring Of Honor, where barely anyone gets to see him. It doesn’t make any sense.
Griff Garrison: Who the FUCK is Griff Garrison?!? Seriously, though, he’s an RoH guy, and perhaps he should’ve missed the cut for this column, but he does have a couple of appearances on AEW television. That’s where the good news ends, though. To find the last time he was victorious in any way, shape, or form on AEW television, you have to go ALL THE WAY BACK TO DECEMBER 2021 when he teamed with Brian Pillman Jr, Jungle Boy, and Luchasaurus to defeat The Acclaimed and 2.0 (back when they were still known as Matt Lee and Jeff Parker) in an eight-man tag match. That is still the ONLY match he has ever won on AEW television. One time. Nearly four years ago. Oh, and he was the smallest part of that match, too. Why is he even around? Yes, every company needs people to lose matches, but he’s taking up space. He’s Overpushed, even with what tiny morsels of a push he’s receiving.
Harley Cameron: I think Harley Cameron is entertaining. However, I do have a question. I see a lot of people calling for her to get a big push, even to the point of becoming a champion in AEW. How much of that do you think is genuine praise, how much of it is people liking her ironically, and how much of it is blind AEW fandom where they like everything the company does no matter what? Like I said, I find her to be entertaining, but some of the praise I see her getting seems so over-the-top that it doesn’t feel authentic at all. I’m legitimately wondering. Her receiving a shot at the TBS Title out of nowhere back in February probably didn’t help things, even if that was done because AEW was in her home country of Australia at the time. She finds herself getting a lot of television time, even though she may not have the win/loss record that many others in her position would be receiving. That goes back to how entertaining she is. The only people she has defeated on AEW television in 2025 are enhancement talents, Ring Of Honor wrestlers, or AEW names at the bottom of the card. Judging “comedy” acts in wrestling can be difficult. They usually get a good amount of time on television, but they’re also losing most of their matches, if not all of them. Based strictly on her wins and losses, she would be Overpushed by quite the margin. Throwing in her entertainment factor, though, I’ll go with Just Right. A great wrestling product is like a variety show, with a little bit of something for every type of fan out there. There’s definitely a place for someone like Harley on AEW programming.
Hologram: This is an interesting one. For one, Hologram has never lost a match under the AEW umbrella. Not on AEW television, not in Ring Of Honor, and not on pay-per-view, whether pre-show or main card. As a Luchador, he almost exclusively wrestles with and/or against other Luchadores, though, so it’s difficult to say that he’s moving up the card. We’re not talking about Goldberg’s undefeated streak in WCW here, where he very clearly started facing bigger and better names, then moved to midcard title territory, then to the main event. Hologram is, for all intents and purposes, in the same place he was in now than when he started his AEW run almost a year ago. No title shots, no facing big names, etc. If you’re going to push him, why not push him? Underpushed. Let’s see what he’s got against bigger names in better spots.
Hook: There was a point in time, not all that long ago, when people were saying they could see Hook as a future AEW World Champion. He was becoming super over with live crowds, and was getting better in the ring on a pretty regular basis. A lot of that hype has died down, mainly because of him not being medically cleared to wrestle for a while now, but Hook continues to receive a push. He has yet to be on the losing end of a match in 2025, and hasn’t been pinned since April 2024. It hasn’t led to anything involving titles, though. He was set to compete for the Trios Titles alongside Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata, but then he had his medical issues, and was replaced in the title match by Powerhouse Hobbs. Joe, Shibata, and Hobbs would win the Trios Titles, and we haven’t seen Hook wrestle since. Right now, I think Hook’s push is Just Right. The only reason he isn’t a Trios Champion right now is bad luck. As far as singles championships go, I’m not sure he’s “ready” for that just yet, so he’s in a fine spot at the moment.
Jamie Hayter: The Jamie Hayter during her AEW Women’s Title reign in 2022 and 2023, and the Jamie Hayter of today, seem like completely different people. She looks different, she carries herself differently, and to me, it seemed like she wrestled differently, at least until somewhat recently. I can’t say for sure, but it seemed like she was still trying to get beyond her career-threatening back injury. It came across as overcompensating for things, and focusing too much on what to do, and what not to do, not letting things come naturally. I could be completely wrong here. It’s just what it seemed like as a fan and a viewer. She hasn’t wrestled a ton in 2025, but she finally seems to be resembling the old Jamie Hayter again. That bodes well for her moving forward, but for now, I think her push is Just Right. More matches and more time should hopefully lead to bigger things for her.
Jay Lethal: He barely makes the cut for this column, but his few appearances have come recently, so here he is. At the age of 40, I don’t know if Lethal has transitioned into more of a part-time wrestler, but he certainly isn’t having a ton of matches anymore. What matches he is having, he’s losing. Even with that said, he can be a valuable addition to the roster. He’s still good in the ring, which also means that he’s going to make his opponents look good when he loses. That’s what he’s been doing. Nothing wrong with that. Just Right.
Jay White: Some bad luck over the last year or so has kept “Switchblade” on the shelf for seemingly more time than he’s been around. It has been around three months since he last wrestled, but when he was around, he’s been pretty much in the middle of the road. He wins some matches, and he loses some matches. Good performances almost all around, but no real traction in any direction. I’m nowhere near as high on the guy as a lot of AEW fans are, but I do think he’d be a great contender for the company’s midcard titles. Right now, with all of the start-and-stop activity due to his injuries, his push is Just Right. If he can stay healthy and stick around, you could argue that he’s Underpushed, as he doesn’t seem to have those types of titles in his sights.
Jon Moxley: I mean… what can you really say here? It would be totally impossible for Moxley to be Underpushed, wouldn’t it? He has pretty much been at the very top of the card since debuting for the company, holding the AEW World Title more times, and for more overall days, than anyone else. Depending on how you feel about him, he certainly falls into one of the other two categories. Personally, I’m going to go with Overpushed. Even some of the biggest diehard AEW fans I know are sick and tired of Moxley and the entire Death Riders storyline. He has done so much for AEW, but I think he has earned himself a bit of a break whenever he finally drops the title. Let him go away for a bit, recharge his batteries, spend some time with his family, and let the AEW fans miss him a bit.
Josh Alexander: He’s someone that came to AEW with a good amount of fanfare, as he made a name for himself as one of the best overall in-ring workers in the business. While he has been placed in a high-profile spot, aligning himself with the Don Callis Family, I’m not sure that he has quite lived up to the hype in a lot of ways. That’s not his fault, of course, but it’s still the truth. He has six wins in AEW, but five of those saw him teaming up with Konosuke Takeshita. Without Takeshita by his side, Alexander is 1-4-1 in AEW, with his sole victory coming against AR Fox. The new car smell hasn’t even worn off yet, so there’s plenty of time for Mr. Alexander to see bigger and better things, but for right now, I’m pretty confident in saying that he’s Underpushed. He’s capable of so much more.
Julia Hart: Since returning from a shoulder injury, Julia has been about as middle-of-the-road as you can be. She has basically been in a pattern of winning, then losing, then winning, then losing, and so on. Her record on television in 2025 is 7-7, and while she has been in the ring with some of the top women in the division, she has clearly been shown to be a tier or two below them. She beats the likes of Queen Aminata and Harley Cameron, but loses to Toni Storm, Mercedes Moné, and Mina Shirakawa. That’s not a terrible spot to be in, especially for someone who is still just 23 years old. She’s still honing her craft, and has plenty of time for advancement. If she can keep working with the top names in the business, it will only benefit her moving forward. Just Right.
Katsuyori Shibata: I feel weird about this one. On one hand, Shibata was one of the top wrestlers in all of Japan for the 2000’s and 2010’s, and is lucky to be alive, let alone wrestling, after a subdural hematoma during a match in 2017 forced him into what everyone thought was an early retirement. It’s amazing to see him wrestling again, no matter what he’s doing. On the other hand, though, he’s in a good spot that receives a decent amount of television time, and you could definitely make the argument (many already have) that a younger and/or more “homegrown” AEW talent should have that spot. Like I said, I feel weird, but I’m going with Overpushed here. I’m still a fan, and it’s not like he’s out there, looking like a sad, tired version of his younger self. However, I would love to see him work a more limited schedule. AEW should make him a special attraction. For example, look no further than how the company uses Shibata’s New Japan brethren, Tomohiro Ishii. Yes, Ishii is able to wrestle for AEW less because he isn’t under contract to them, but he shows up for a surprise appearance, has a match or two, then goes off to do other things before coming back for a surprise appearance down the road. That’s what I’d prefer for Shibata in 2025.
Kazuchika Okada: The man is one of the greatest in-ring performers in the history of the sport. His arrival in AEW came with a ton of hubbub and hullabaloo. Since showing up in AEW, he has almost been reduced to a comedic act, more known for his usage of the word “bitch” and his constant teasing of his Rainmaker pose before flipping the bird than his actual matches. That’s a pretty textbook case of being Underpushed, isn’t it? I agree, but there’s an asterisk involved here. He has earned the spot he has right now. After years and years of killing his body with the hard-hitting style of New Japan and their grueling schedule, he signed for what was undoubtedly a lot more money, and doesn’t have to do anywhere near as much work for that extra pay. We should all be so lucky.
Kenny Omega: He’s still an Executive Vice President for the company, and has been through hell and back in recent years due to numerous injuries and ailments. He doesn’t have to keep doing this. There’s nothing left for him to prove. He keeps going out there and having bangers, though. His win/loss record recently is as good as almost anyone in the game right now. The only match he’s lost so far in 2025 was an eight-man tag. His last singles loss was in October 2023, although those numbers are skewed a bit as he missed the entirety of 2024 with his injuries. I really like what AEW is doing with him these days. I’m saying Just Right. He has been elevating the International Title for the last 100 or so days, and has (along with Kazuchika Okada) made a midcard title unification match seem like a huge deal. It takes special talents to pull that off.
Kevin Knight: I say this with love, as I’m a fan of the guy (I sound like Stephen A. Smith when I keep talking about “I LOVE THIS MAN WITH ALL MY HEART, BUT…”), but I think he’s Overpushed. You wouldn’t know it at face value… he has a 8-7 record in 2025, and hasn’t even competed for a title, let alone won one. My reasoning for the category I’ve placed him in is that, while he’s very talented, there was already a huge line of people on the AEW roster that were fighting, scratching, and clawing for any sort of sustained television time. It was basically given to him as soon he walked through the door. Once again, that is of no fault of his own whatsoever. It’s just not something that really sits right with me.
Konosuke Takeshita: He was good when he was in Japan, working for DDT-Pro, but he has really transformed himself into one of the best in the world since signing with AEW in 2022. Takeshita has almost everything you need to be a huge star in North American pro wrestling, except for his great promos in English, but as I’ve mentioned, that part barely matters in a place like AEW. He has spent 2025 being a very big deal in AEW, New Japan, and even other places like CMLL. His AEW stint has seen him carve out a 18-6 record so far in 2025, and his losses have come to Will Ospreay and “Hangman” Adam Page in a tag match, Ospreay in a singles match, Kenny Omega in a singles match that saw him lose the International Title, Ospreay and Omega in a tag match, a tag match that saw something in the vicinity of 385 people involved, and a Four-Way. Clearly, he is only losing to the very upper echelon of competitors on the AEW roster. It’s a spot he deserves to be in. I’d actually like to see him move up even higher, but for now, let’s go with Just Right. It’s obvious that AEW sees huge things in him and his future.
Kris Statlander: Remember when I was the first to call for Kris Statlander to be the person who should end Jade Cargill’s undefeated streak in AEW? Remember how that’s exactly what ended up happening? Remember how it didn’t do much of anything for Stat in the grand scheme of things? Sheesh. That was quite the disappointment. Stat’s 2025 hasn’t been anything special. Her 2024 ended on a promising note, as she was delivering some impressive performances against Mercedes Moné, albeit in losses. That momentum hasn’t really carried over. With a 6-5 record in 2025, she’s just coasting by right now. Nothing great, nothing terrible. Honestly, that’s not good enough. Underpushed.
Kyle Fletcher: He’s the “next Will Ospreay” while the actual Will Ospreay is still Will Ospreay, Will Ospreaying it up like only Will Ospreay can do. Fletcher has been in the exact same boat as Konosuke Takeshita in 2025. He has an 14-5 record this year, and his losses are against Kenny Omega and Ospreay in a tag match, Ospreay in a singles match, “Hangman” Adam Page in a singles match, Adam Cole in a singles match, and the match I mentioned earlier that featured something in the vicinity of 391 people in it. There’s not a lot to be too shaken up about when those are the only people on the roster who can beat you these days. I do feel that Takeshita is “above” Fletcher, but they’re both in great spots right now, and are both names I think could make a rise up the card over the rest of 2025. Just Right.
Kyle O’Reilly: Earlier, I wondered if it’s contractually obligated that Mexican wrestlers must work with Mexican wrestlers in AEW. I have the same questions about Kyle O’Reilly and the rest of The Paragon, The Undisputed Era, or whatever name the group will be going by next. He went five months since he had a match that didn’t feature Adam Cole and/or Roderick Strong before finally having a singles match against Kyle Fletcher. That’s pretty crazy. Even “tag team wrestlers” will have singles matches against someone else without their partner in the ring. KOR’s 2025 has seen him have an 8-11 record so far. He hasn’t been moving up or down the card, but he’s a “good hand” that can have entertaining matches with just about anybody. You need at least a handful of people like that on your roster. Just Right.
Lance Archer: Even though the “Murderhawk Monster” is one of the biggest, roughest, and toughest dudes on the AEW roster, he has been pretty clearly defined as a lower tier guy in the company. If he’s working in RoH, he’s probably going to win, but if he’s on AEW television, he only wins if it’s against enhancement talent or if Konosuke Takeshita or Kyle Fletcher is one of his tag partners. Outside of those scenarios, Archer is 0-7 this year. That seems pretty cut and dried to me. He deserves better. Even if you don’t think he should be in the World Title picture, he’s still 6’8″ and nearly 300 pounds on a roster chock full of smaller wrestlers. He should get a chance to showcase his size and strength advantages more often. Underpushed.
Lee Johnson: Even if you’ve never watched AEW and Ring Of Honor, and are just getting your info from this column, how do you think Lee Johnson’s 2025 has gone? He’s a Ring Of Honor wrestler that very rarely makes appearances on AEW television. Would you like to guess how many matches he’s won on AEW television this year? Was “zero” your guess? If so, you would be correct. In fact, you have to go all the way back to September 2021 to find the last time he won a match on AEW television. That night, it was a tag match. Would you like to know who his tag partner was? None other than Cody Rhodes. Seven months before that, he and Cody won another tag match. Those remain Lee Johnson’s only two televised wins in AEW. Ouch. Just Right. I guess.
Lee Moriarty: We’re over three months removed from the last time he wrestled on AEW television, so he barely made the cut to be included here. Even as a titleholder in Ring Of Honor, he’s not someone that gets to win matches on AEW television. Since winning the RoH Pure Title, he is 1-10 in AEW, and 1-5 this year, with the one win being a six-man tag against enhancement talent. He’s one of the better technical wrestlers on the roster, and it’s still not enough to break through and get featured on the AEW side of things. That’s sad. Underpushed.
Lio Rush: If you’d like to know exactly where Lio Rush is in the hierarchy of AEW, the answer is “above Top Flight.” The last three times Lio has been on the winning end of a match in AEW, Top Flight were on the losing end each time. Lio is pretty low on the AEW card, but he has built a semi-regular role on AEW pay-per-view pre-shows. Double Or Nothing 2025? Dynasty 2025? Worlds End 2024? All In(nit) 2024? In less than a year, he has wrestled on four pay-per-view pre-shows. That has to count for something, right? We’ve talked about a lot of lower card names already in this column, but how many of them even have one pre-show match, let alone four of them? With that said, I think Lio is Underpushed. He’s obviously not the largest man in the world, but he’s exciting in the ring and is world traveled. That should earn him more than what he gets.
Marina Shafir: Overpushed. Easy. I completely understand that she is a badass with a legit background in MMA, and it fits in with the Death Riders and what they’re supposed to be. That’s cool and all, but we’re not talking about MMA. We’re talking about pro wrestling, and in THAT world, she has done nothing to warrant the time and effort that has been dedicated to her push. I’m sorry.
Mark Briscoe: When Jay Briscoe died, and when the ban on the Briscoe’s was lifted by a still unnamed WBD executive, we saw that Mark Briscoe would be appearing in AEW. I don’t know about you, but I assumed that he would be there, wrestle a few times, and then either stay in Ring Of Honor, or retire. Two-and-a-half years later, Mark is still wrestling in AEW. I love it. His 2025 has been a little iffy, though. He has a 9-14 record in AEW, but he regularly finds himself involved in storylines and working matches with some of the bigger names on the roster. I have been a fan of the Briscoes for such a long time, and I desperately want to say Mark is Underpushed, but I can’t do it. His push is Just Right. He’s in a good spot, in an important role, helping to make others look great. AEW trusts him, as a veteran, to be able to go out there and work with anyone, and he has rewarded their trust every single time.
Mark Davis: One of the most important keys to a pro wrestler’s success is luck. You can find yourself in the right or wrong place at the right or wrong time, and it can change your entire life. There’s also the injury thing. Some wrestlers seem to go decades without having to miss huge chunks of time with major injuries, while others seem to be injured all the time. Recently, Mark Davis has had a terrible stretch of luck when it comes to injuries. In October 2023, he injured his wrist and was out of action in AEW for over a year. He came back, had a total of 11 matches (nine in AEW, two in RoH), and then broke his foot, putting him back out of action for the last three months and counting. He was 2-7 in AEW in between injuries, so it’s not like he was setting the world on fire. He’s gotta find a way to get better luck, or it would be difficult for AEW to trust him with any sort of push at all. As it is, let’s just say Just Right and move on.
Matt Menard: Overpushed. I don’t care what his record is. Next.
Matthew Jackson: Like I said about FTR, the Young Bucks are either viewed as one of the greatest tag teams of all-time, or they’re basically killing the business, and there is no in between. Hell, the autobiography of the Bucks is titled “Killing The Business.” They get it. The Bucks and FTR are the only teams in AEW history to win the company’s Tag Team Titles more than once, and the total number of days the Bucks have held those titles is damn near higher than teams two through four on that list combined. I said FTR was Underpushed, mainly because it has been nearly two years since they’ve held the titles, and it’s time they get back to that level. It’s a bit different for the Bucks, who lost the belts approximately seven months ago. Since dropping the titles, the Bucks have remained in high profile spots, working main events and getting plenty of television time. I think their push is Just Right. Sure, some of the things they do is incredibly corny, but I think they’re a fantastic tag team, almost guaranteed to deliver on top notch matches every single time. They should be where they are.
Max Caster: The man is in a losing streak storyline, with his last victory coming all the way back in November, before The Acclaimed split up. I don’t think he has a match that has come close to approaching the two-minute mark in that span. By definition, it’s almost impossible to say that he’s Overpushed, isn’t it? I’ll go with Just Right. If there’s anyone on the AEW roster that should be losing all of their matches, it’s probably Max Caster.
Megan Bayne: With a 15-4 record in 2025, it’s clear that she has been getting some sort of push. She went on an undefeated streak to start the year, and it earned her a shot at the AEW Women’s Title, but she lost that match. Since losing that match, she has spent the rest of her time either beating enhancement talents and lower level wrestlers, or losing in tag matches. She seems really far away from being in line for another title shot. She’s one of the biggest and baddest women on the roster, and it feels like that is being wasted right now. Underpushed.
Mercedes Moné: Unless you want her competing against, and defeating, men… it wouldn’t be possible for her to be Underpushed, would it? In singles competition, she is 11-0 in AEW so far this year, and has never lost a one-on-one match during her entire time with the company. She has lost her last two tag matches in AEW, though, so clearly, that “creative control” people feel she has works in weird ways. As I’ve said in the past, Mercedes is probably the best in-ring performer in the history of women’s wrestling. She is the biggest female star that AEW has ever had. In fact, she’s one of the biggest stars, full stop. Why in the world wouldn’t she be in the position she’s in? Just Right.
Mike Bailey: “Speedball” is yet another wrestler on the AEW roster with a win/loss record that is right in the middle of the road. He’s currently at 10-7 on the year so far, but he has had a shot at the International Title and one at the Continental Title. Yes, he lost both of those title matches, but he still had title matches. Not everyone gets those, especially so early on during a stint with a promotion. He and Kevin Knight are working a storyline with The Hurt Business, so he might be on the verge of yet another title shot soon, with the Tag Team Titles on the line. We’ll see. For now, let’s say Just Right. He’s one of the most dynamic performers in the business today, so he deserves to have a somewhat high profile, even if it isn’t always leading to a bunch of victories.
Mina Shirakawa: Can I just say Underpushed because I want to see more of her on a weekly basis, no matter what she’s doing or has done? I kind of want to see her in every match. Jon Moxley defending the AEW World Title against “Hangman” Adam Page? Not so fast, my friend. Now he’s defending it against “Hangman” Adam Page AND Mina Shirakawa. In all seriousness, though, I do expect to see more of her moving forward now that she’s an official member of the roster and not just someone coming over from Japan for random shows. She’s 4-2 in 2025 so far, with her only losses coming to “Timeless” Toni Storm in an AEW Women’s Title match and to the unbeaten-in-singles-competition Mercedes Moné in a TBS Title match. That’s not bad at all, I suppose. I would like to see her move away from the Toni Storm orbit, though. Mariah May is gone, so Mina is away from that, but it feels like everything Mina has ever done in AEW has involved Toni and/or Mariah. Let’s change things up a bit. Just Right.
MJF: No matter what he’s doing, or where he is on the card, MJF remains one of the most charismatic names in the business, and when he’s focused, one of the best “talkers” in the business, as well. My concern right now is that I simply don’t care about him teaming up with The Hurt Business. It’s good for a chuckle here and there during their segments, but that’s about it. Not one person involved in the storyline is benefitting from it in any way. He’s Underpushed. He needs to be doing something different. Something bigger and better than buddying up with a stable, no matter where it’s going.
Nicholas Jackson: No need to get too in-depth with this, since I’ve already talked about his brother. The Young Bucks are being pushed Just Right. They’re one of the best tag teams of the last 20 years, and whether they have tag titles or not, they deserve to be treated like big deals.
Nick Wayne: It’s still crazy to me that he signed an AEW contract when he was barely out of diapers. Anyway, he has been a bit of a mixed bag as a pro wrestler, especially on a big stage like AEW. In the ring, he is well beyond his years, looking like someone who could be a multiple-time World Champion before all is said and done. When it comes to talking and acting, though… holy shit… that stuff is whooping his ass on the regular. He is awful at it. I see where he gets it, too, because his mother is awful at it, too. I’m hoping he gets better with time and practice, as he isn’t even 20 years old yet, but it has been rough. As the current Ring Of Honor Television Champion, he has a total of one match in RoH this year, and nine matches in AEW. That’s a bit odd, isn’t it? Seems like every other RoH name struggles to make any appearances on the AEW side of things, but this man, as an RoH titleholder, is almost strictly on AEW, including the match where he won the title in the first place. Whatever. His push is Just Right at the moment. He’s not wrestling a ton, but is still improving his craft all the time. No complaints here. Other than his acting. Yuck.
Penelope Ford: With a 4-7 record so far in 2025, and with those four wins being tag matches with Megan Bayne as her partner, Penelope Ford is pretty well defined with her spot on the card. The last time she defeated a contracted AEW performer in a singles match on television was in October 2021, when she beat Kiera Hogan in a match on Dynamite. Penelope is a fine wrestler, but she’s in the role of putting others over. It might not be a glamorous gig, but someone’s got to do it. Just Right.
Powerhouse Hobbs: He owns a 16-4 record so far in 2025, which is one of the best records of anyone in all of AEW. He is one-third of the current AEW Trios Champions. His only singles loss this year was to Jon Moxley in a World Title match. The main event scene is the top tier, but Hobbs is definitely in the tier right below it. It’s a great place to be. He has plenty of television time, continues to be involved with many of the top names in the company, and has a championship he gets to defend on television. Hard to complain much about that. Just Right.
Queen Aminata: I’ve said it in my columns on more than a few occasions in the past, but I have grown to become a really big fan of Queen Aminata. She has come such a long way since she first debuted for the company, and she has a rare presence that commands your attention as soon as you see her. She is another name that is splitting their time between AEW and RoH, and with different roles for each “brand.” In RoH, she is 4-0 on the year, and has won her last seven matches, with her last loss coming in a tag match last July, two days after her last singles loss there. When it comes to AEW, though, she has a record of 2-8 in 2025, with her wins coming against Julia Hart back in March and recently against Skye Blue. To be fair, two of her AEW losses were to Toni Storm, and one of them was to Thekla, who is still brand new to the company. I do think she deserves more, though. She’s still not quite “ready” to be a champion in AEW yet, but I do think she’s ready for more than what she has gotten. Underpushed. Slightly.
Ricochet: No matter what you think of his character, his charisma, his mic skills, and so on, it’s difficult to deny the fact that AEW has allowed him to wrestle more like the Ricochet that people fell in love with before he signed with WWE. He’s 11-7 on the year, which is pretty good, but not great. However, in those wins, he has two pinfall victories over Swerve Strickland (former AEW World Champion) and a win over Mark Briscoe (former RoH World Champion). He has also been in the mix for the International Title. Like I’ve said about a few different people in this column, he might not quite be in the top tier yet, but he’s certainly in play for the tier right below it, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he moves up to that top tier sooner than later. Just Right.
Rocky Romero: I understand that Rocky is somewhat of a liaison between AEW, New Japan, and CMLL, and that he has been very influential in building a working relationship between the three companies. That’s super awesome. However, there’s still no reason for him to be wrestling in AEW in the year 2025. I don’t care what his record is (it’s 3-7, if you need to know), because it’s still him taking up valuable space on a roster that is overcrowded and full of people fighting for any time on television. That’s not cool. Overpushed.
Roderick Strong: The longtime veteran is another name to add to the list of wrestlers in AEW who have a record that hovers around the .500 mark. Random factoid, but it has also been over four months since he wrestled a regular singles match. It feels like forever ago that he was the International Champion, but it was only just over a year ago that he lost the title. He’s still one of the better technical wrestlers on the roster, but I think he’s in a good spot right now. That high level of skill is beneficial in making his opponents look good. I wouldn’t mind seeing him get more of a push at some point, but right now, I think his push is Just Right.
Rush: It feels like Rush gets a mini-push on a regular basis, going on a bit of a winning streak, and then nothing ever comes from it. Throw in some bad luck with injuries, and you have a ton of inconsistency when it comes to his AEW status. With a 5-3 record in 2025, he’s another name hovering around the .500 mark with wins and losses, but the highest profile names that he has beaten are AR Fox and Top Flight, so it’s not the strongest 5-3 you’ll ever see. He’s currently Underpushed, but I wouldn’t be too bothered if you felt his push was Just Right.
Sammy Guevara: Remember when Sammy was labeled as one of the “Pillars” of AEW, and many saw him as a future AEW World Champion? I’m not even sure Pepperidge Farm remembers that at this point. He wrestles on Ring Of Honor shows way more than AEW shows these days, and only made his first AEW appearance of 2025 in May. His pairing with Dustin Rhodes seemed like something that would get more AEW television time, but it just didn’t materialize that way. Sammy still has an exciting style of offense in the ring, and he can still elicit responses from live audiences. I’m not sure what has been going on since he debuted in RoH last year. Is he still being punished for nearly killing Jeff Hardy during a match, leading to him being suspended for a few months? If so, it’s a weird punishment, as he and Dustin have been the RoH Tag Team Champions for the last ten-plus months. No matter what it is, Sammy is Underpushed. He should be on AEW a lot more, and doing a lot bigger things.
Samoa Joe: Joe is 46 years old, has been a pro wrestler for nearly 26 years, and has an absolute shit ton of mileage on his tires. All that, but he’s still going strong today, and remains one of the most popular workers on the AEW roster. He won the AEW World Title at the very end of 2023, but if he won it again today, fans would love every minute of it. When he’s not off filming the Twisted Metal series for Peacock, he’s involved in something important for AEW. He’s one-third of the current AEW Trios Champions, and that’s helping to keep him fresh. Just Right.
Shawn Dean: He barely made the cut here, not having wrestled on AEW television since mid-March. The good news is that he was actually part of a victory on an episode of Collision this year. The bad news is that it was a six-man tag against enhancement talent. I mentioned this earlier in the column, but you have to go back to March 2024 to find his last win on AEW programming that wasn’t against enhancement talent, and that’s when he and Carlie Bravo defeated Brody King and Buddy Matthews. Tony Khan should be arrested. Just Right. Whatever.
Shelton Benjamin: Like I said earlier, I was really hoping for Cedric Alexander to show up and join The Hurt Business. He and Shelton make a really fun tag team, and I wanted to see them working in the AEW tag scene while Bobby Lashley goes after the World Title. That doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon, though. Right now, Shelton is in a fun spot. He is getting to show more in the ring than he has been able to in years, all while remaining a very important player with regular television time. He is undefeated so far in 2025, although it is worth noting that he has yet to have a straight up singles match this year. His last three singles matches in AEW, all taking place last December, were all losses. If and when Shelton gets to have singles matches again, I’d rather not see that continue. He’s far too talented for that, even at the age of 50 (!!!), which he might already be, depending on when I get to post this column. For now, I’ll say Shelton’s push is Just Right.
Skye Blue: She’s still fresh off of returning from a broken ankle that she suffered last July, but so far, it hasn’t been all that great for Ms. Skye. At this point, she might be seeing Mina Shirakawa in her nightmares. Since returning, she lost a Four-Way match that Mina won, then lost a singles match to Mina, then lost a tag match to Mina and Toni Storm. Three matches in a month-and-a-half, and all of them were losses. She finally moved away from Mina, only to lose to Queen Aminata, as well. Not ideal. I still think her push is Just Right, though. She hasn’t looked quite the same since returning, but she still has plenty of time to right the ship, so to speak.
Swerve Strickland: A 12-6-1 record in 2025 doesn’t look all that bad at first glance, but you have to look a bit deeper than that. Going back to All In(nit) last August, Swerve is really struggling in almost all of his biggest singles matches. He lost to Bryan Danielson that night, then lost to “Hangman” Adam Page in a Steel Cage Match two weeks later. Full Gear 2024 saw him lose to Bobby Lashley. His early 2025 saw him beating lower level opponents and losing to anyone else. He earned a shot at the AEW World Title, only to lose that match, as well. Recently, he went to a Time Limit Draw with Will Ospreay, which was his best performance in a long time. He still feels very important in the overall picture, but he just doesn’t have the wins and losses this year to back it up. It’s almost weird to say this, but I think he’s Underpushed right now. He should’ve been the won to dethrone Jon Moxley and bring the World Title back to the forefront, but it didn’t happen.
Thekla: It’s almost unfair to include her here, as she only recently made her debut with the company. It’s difficult to rate her push, as we haven’t been given a ton of time to see what kind of push she’s getting. She has won her first four matches in AEW, and that’s cool, but none of the matches have come against top level opponents. Let’s go with Just Right for now, and we’ll see how it all plays out over the coming months. It wouldn’t surprise me to see her competing for championships before the end of 2025, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see her missing in action for months at a time, either.
Thunder Rosa: It has been a rough road for her since she had to relinquish the AEW Women’s Title back on 2022 due to an injury. She has been unsuccessful in multiple attempts to win the title back, and has dealt with a concussion, as well. 2025 has seen her achieve a 1-8 record on AEW programming, with her only win coming against Penelope Ford back at the beginning of February. That makes her a pretty clear case for being Underpushed. I’m not as high on her as some are, but she’s definitely deserving of a lot more than she’s been getting.
Toa Liona: I’ll say the same things here that I did for Toa’s tag team partner, Bishop Kaun. If they’re on Ring Of Honor shows, there’s a pretty good chance they’re going to win. They only have one loss in RoH in 2025, and that was the first show of the year. AEW is a different story, though, as they beat enhancement talent on a few occasions, but nothing beyond that. Liona and Kaun are an entertaining duo, but they haven’t really been given much of a shot to show it off to the AEW side of the fence. For now, their push is Just Right, as someone needs to lose, but I would love to see them get some bigger opportunities in the future.
Toni Storm: If there’s anyone in AEW who deserves their push to be Just Right, it’s the “Timeless” one. She has taken something that was probably never intended to last this long, and is, admittedly, very silly… and she continues striking gold, time and time again. The woman has earned every little bit of love, attention, and push that she receives.
Trent Beretta: With a 3-5 record in 2025, consisting of almost nothing but six and eight-man tag matches, not much stands out about Trent these days. He has had a seemingly non-stop battle with injuries over the last few years, which hasn’t helped at all. He’s only 38, but he seems to be a shell of his former self. Someone needs to lose matches, but honestly, there are plenty of others on the roster who could fill that role these days. Overpushed. Others should be getting the television time and attention he’s getting.
Truth Magnum: Because AEW diehards defend any and everything that the company does, it can often be difficult to separate genuine love from anything of the ironic variety. The Outrunners are one of those instances for me. They get some really good reactions from live crowds, but I don’t “get” them to the extent that a lot of AEW fans do. They have their entertaining moments, but calling for them to win the Tag Team Titles is insane to me. It has been nearly four months since they won a match on AEW programming, so perhaps it’s insane to Tony Khan, as well. There aren’t many non-pushed teams on the roster that can entertain more than The Outrunners, but there are plenty of them that are better in the ring. Call it a draw, I suppose. Just Right.
Turbo Floyd: There’s no need for me to type an entire paragraph here, especially after I just covered Turbo’s tag partner in the previous entry. Just Right.
Wheeler Yuta: He has an 8-10 record so far in 2025, but it’s not just about the record with him. As a member of Moxley’s Death Riders group, he is on television constantly, and is always involved in what’s going on. That puts him at least a level or two above almost anyone else on the roster with that type of record. That makes him Overpushed, if you ask me. I think he’s a really talented in-ring performer, but he can’t carry the personality side of things that are required for that much television time. Claudio Castagnoli looks like The Rock standing next to Wheeler.
Will Ospreay: A record of 16-3-1 so far in 2025 gives him one of the best winning percentages of anyone on the AEW roster. He is one of the most high-profile members of the roster, making everything he does seem bigger and more important. With all of that said, an argument can be made… a strong one, at that… that Ospreay is Underpushed. He has wrestled 66 matches, and counting, with all of that prestige and importance, and has yet to win the AEW World Title. That’s crazy to me, and I’m far from the only person who feels that way. However, he is as high up the card as anyone can be without being the World Champion, and his matches usually garner more attention than the World Title matches do. I think it would be silly to say his push is anything other than Just Right. At some point, we’ll probably reach the line where we cross over into Underpushed territory, if the months keep going by without him winning the World Title, but he’s doing very well for himself now.
Willow Nightingale: She remains one of the most popular women on the AEW roster, but how much does she have to show for it? One reign as the TBS Champion, lasting five weeks, and she won the Owen Hart Cup in 2023, back before a World Title shot was given to the tournament winners. Her TBS Title reign ended over 13 months ago, and since then, she has been involved in CMLL’s title pictures more than those in AEW. At the same time, her 2025 has seen her get involved in the Death Riders storyline, including her spot in Anarchy In The Arena at Double Or Nothing. To me, that counts for a lot. She’s winning and losing matches at about the same clip in 2025, but I can’t help but feel like she’s not reaching the levels she could, and should, be reaching. Underpushed.
Holy shit. I’m pretty sure I have carpal tunnel after typing all of that, and some of you have probably developed migraines from reading this far. I knew this would be a super long column because of how big AEW’s roster is, but this went longer than I could’ve imagined. Thank you for getting this far, even if you had to read it in “chapters” to reach the end.
What do you think about the pushes of the members of the AEW roster? Do you think I’m completely off with my take on someone? Is there someone you’re dying to see get a bigger push? As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s move on to my Weekly Power Rankings, before we close things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Sheamus vs Rusev: They beat the shit out of each other for 20 minutes, and in the end, the right man won. I really couldn’t ask for too much more out of this one.
The Outrunners vs FTR: One thing I really like about AEW television is that they regularly deliver great matches that, for one reason or another, you might not have expected to be great. Maybe one of the competitors is several tiers below their opponent, or maybe it’s a match that you didn’t think would get the amount of time it received, and so on. This fits both of those descriptions. The Outrunners are nowhere near FTR’s level, but here they were, participating in a match that was a wonderful ode to old school tag team wrestling for 20 minutes. Wild.
Andrade & Rey Fenix vs FrAxiom: Four of the most exciting performers in the business today, tearing it up in a fast-paced, action-packed tag match. Again… I really couldn’t ask for too much more out of this one.
Sami Zayn & Penta vs Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed: I think everyone knows by now that Bron Breakker is almost guaranteed to be a future World Champion, and that it will probably happen much sooner than later. However, I want to take this time to praise his pairing with Bronson Reed. They have tremendous in-ring chemistry together, and they’re doing a great job, both with their matches and character work as members of Paul Patrol.
Brody King vs MJF vs AR Fox vs Anthony Bowens: Hey, Tony Khan… push Brody King already, you coward. Just do it.
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs Finn Balor & JD McDonagh: This match was a lot of fun, but how many of you are ready to officially declare the heel turn of Kofi and Woods a “dud” now? I said it when it happened, but a lack of follow up and the inability to have Big E get his comeuppance after the turn severely handicapped everything from the start. They got another Tag Team Title reign out of it, but it ended up being one of the more disappointing reigns in recent memory. When all is said and done, what will the heel turn actually accomplish?
Bandido, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly vs Konosuke Takeshita & The Young Bucks: Good ol’ KOR and his contractually obligated matches that involve Adam Cole, Bobby Fish, and/or Roderick Strong. The streak continues. Good stuff here, all jokes aside.
Kota Ibushi vs Kazuchika Okada: It was their first match against each other since October 2021, and they looked like they haven’t missed a beat. Okada, of course, is Okada, and continues to build an argument for himself being the best in-ring performer of all-time. Ibushi has had a really rough stretch recently, with a plethora of injuries taking a lot of what makes him special in the ring away, but he looks great in his return. I’m hoping to see a lot more of him in an injury-free stretch.
Scorpio Sky: It’s great to see the man back in AEW again. This was his first match for a Tony Khan company since wrestling in Ring Of Honor back in October 2023, with his last match for AEW coming a month prior to that. He’s been healthy, but has been waiting for an opportunity to work. He finally got one, and now, it will be very interesting to see what comes of it.
Mercedes Moné vs Mina Shirakawa: Darn that Mercedes and her creative control, I tells ya. Will she ever lose again?!?!?
Daniel Garcia vs Kyle Fletcher: A shot at Adam Cole’s TNT Title was on the line here, and both men wrestled like it. Fletcher getting the win moves him one step closer to becoming a full-fledged main event player in AEW, which is nice.
Kevin Knight vs Shelton Benjamin vs Nick Wayne: I do understand the logic… give Knight the pinfall victory over Shelton, to try and get people to think JetSpeed as a shot at dethroning The Hurt Business for the AEW Tag Team Titles… but I don’t like it. Shelton shouldn’t be losing as often as he does when he doesn’t have Bobby Lashley to “protect” him. Nick Wayne was right there. He should’ve been the one to take the pin.
Yoshiki Inamura vs Jasper Troy: Say it with me… BIG MEATY MEN SLAPPING MEAT. It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Jacob Fatu & Jimmy Uso vs Solo Sikoa & JC Mateo: I would say it will be amazing to look back on the entire Bloodline story years from now, but it will probably still be going on years from now. It’s something else.
Street Fighter: The casting for the upcoming Street Fighter movie is like a fever dream and a cocaine high rolled into one. Jason Momoa as Blanka? 50 Cent as Balrog? Roman Reigns as Akuma? Cody Rhodes as Guile? Andrew Schulz as Dan? David Dastmalchian as M. Bison? Orville Peck as Vega? What the hell is happening here? All I know is this… I will be in an aisle seat to watch this movie when it hits theaters. I can’t wait for Dwayne Johnson to be revealed as playing Sagat, Masi Oka to be E. Honda, and Blake Monroe to be Cammy.
This Week’s Playlist: “Today’s Song” by Foo Fighters… “GCGA” by Rittz… “Ghosts” by Lord Of The Lost & Tina Guo… “Blood God” by Black Orchid Empire… “It’s Okay (One Blood)” by The Game & Junior Reid… “Scream On Em” by The Game & Swizz Beatz… “How We Do” by The Game & 50 Cent… “Put You On The Game” by The Game… “Shit Hits The Fan” by Obie Trice, Eminem & Dr. Dre… “We All Die One Day” by Obie Trice, Eminem, 50 Cent & Lloyd Banks… “There They Go” by Obie Trice, Eminem, Trick Trick & Big Herk… “24/7 The Grinder” by Krayzie Bone… “When I Die” by Krayzie Bone, Big Pun, Fat Joe & Cuban Link… “Get’chu Twisted (Remix)” by Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Layzie Bone & Wish Bone… “A Song For You” by Bizzy Bone, DMX & Chris Notez… “Make It Make Sense” by A Day To Remember… “All My Friends” by A Day To Remember… “Miracle” by A Day To Remember… “One For The Money” by Escape The Fate… “Until The Day I Die” by Story Of The Year… “Smile In Your Sleep” by Silverstein… “Tears Don’t Fall” by Bullet For My Valentine… “Can You Feel My Heart” by Bring Me The Horizon… “Tennessee” by Arrested Development… “Can’t Truss It” by Public Enemy… “Definition” by Black Star… “B-Boy Document ’99” by The High & Mighty, Mos Def & Mad Skills… “Born To Roll” by Masta Ace Incorporated… “H.O.O.D.” by Masta Ace… “Soda & Soap” by Masta Ace & Jean Grae… “Acknowledge” by Masta Ace… “The Corner” by Common & The Last Poets… “We Know” by Talib Kweli & Faith Evans… “Around My Way” by Talib Kweli & John Legend… “Luchini” by Camp Lo
