Despite a hefty payroll, AEW lacks star talent

AEW has the deepest roster in professional wrestling. Tony Khan has remained active as he looks to continue adding elite talent to AEW's payroll. Just this year, the company has signed Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Kazuchika Okada and reportedly, Bobby Lashley. 

Yet, for all of the new faces that continue to walk through the door, very few are proving to be main-event talents. Outside of Ospreay, none of this year's additions project to be legitimate needle-movers in the coming years. It's the same with the 2023 crop of additions, headlined by an aging Adam Copeland and an underwhelming Jay White. 

During a recent episode of "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer questioned AEW's booking. He took aim at Wednesday's episode of Dynamite, where Christian Cage and White went toe-to-toe as part of a poor main event. 

"Christian [Cage] and Jay White is not a main event," Meltzer said. "There's main eventers and there's good workers, and you can make people main eventers, but until they are, they're not main eventers. That was a perfect example ... It wasn't a main event, and there was nothing really big advertised ... AEW does need good matches or people aren't going to watch the show."