Booker T. Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Booker T pinpoints AEW's greatest shortfall

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Aug 30, 2024 4:59 PM ET

AEW might be the second largest wrestling promotion on the planet, but its popularity has been in free-fall throughout the year. Attendance has drastically fallen, and their TV viewership has steadily declined. At times, WWE's incredible surge has been lobbied as a potential reason for Tony Khan's company hitting a stagnation point.

However, Booker T believes that AEW's lack of consistent storytelling is the true reason behind the company's sudden fall from grace. The WWE Hall of Famer also noted that AEW must do a better job creating stars within the company if it wants to entice fans to watch the product.

"I can say it once, I can say it a thousand times, but it's about creating stars. I think it's about creating a show," Booker T said during a recent episode of his "Hall of Fame" podcast. "I think that's why NXT is so good right now because it's a really, really good show. The guys play their roles and they play their roles very, very well. You got so many guys in AEW that can play their role, no doubt about it, but without that story, without that feel, it feels like you're missing something."

Booker T isn't the only former wrestler to take aim at AEW's lack of storytelling. Eric Bischoff has been consistent in his criticism of Khan's sports-based approach.

"What he really wants is to be recognized as the next Paul Heyman, or the next Vince McMahon," Bischoff said during an episode of his "Wise Choices" podcast. "Maybe not today, but what Vince McMahon achieved...I think Tony’s — based on what I’ve read about him and heard from others who have worked closely with him — is brilliant when it comes to data analytics and analysis. But when it comes to creative, he doesn’t have a f------ clue. You could beat him about to head with a good idea and he wouldn’t know it. Therein lies your problem.”

AEW has shown a heavier focus on storytelling over the past few months. However, not every storyline they build is run to a conclusion. Often, if a story doesn't pop within the first few weeks, the creative team pivots away from it, leaving long-time fans wondering why a story has been abandoned with no explanation or payoff.

Still, it's worth remembering that AEW is only six years old. The promotion is still in its infancy and is bound to make mistakes, experience learning curves and sometimes hit some choppy waters. However, Khan is a true wrestling fan and has deep enough pockets to keep the company running for as long as he wants.

AEW will eventually figure things out. Nevertheless, things may get worse before they start to get better.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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