Is AEW damaging value of its stars' wrestling careers?

Eric Bischoff is at it again. The former WCW executive has been incredibly vocal about his disdain for AEW in recent years. He takes every opportunity to disparage television products while questioning Tony Khan's vision for the company. 

In a recent episode of his "83 Weeks" podcast, Bischoff took aim at AEW's executive vice presidents. He noted how Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks have lost some of their value within the industry since AEW's rise.

"When you talk about Kenny, and you talk about where The Young Bucks are today, I think their perceived value was much greater before going to AEW than it is now," Bischoff said. "I think the perception of them has been taken down enough that it's just probably not as attractive to WWE as it would've been three or four years ago."

AEW is second only to WWE in terms of size and audience. No other promotion competes with Khan's company in terms of both attendance and television viewership. As such, it's hard to envision some of the most prominent members of AEW's roster losing value within the wrestling industry. 

How can having more exposure, bigger storylines and a larger fanbase lead to a negative nosedive for everyone on the roster? 

"Does anybody feel like they have more value and equity in the marketplace today than they did before they came to AEW?" Bischoff continued. "Quite frankly, I think Mercedes Mone's character has just taken a giant hit; her brand has been severely damaged as a result of being involved in AEW television."

Bischoff's comments also make little sense because 'value' is subjective. WWE likely doesn't value some of AEW's talents because they have multiple years left on their contracts. Earlier this year, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer (subscription required) noted how Omega was WWE's primary target when he was last heading into free agency. 

"The other three [Page, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson] were under contract until the end of 2023, so WWE wouldn't have been able to pitch for them for many months," Meltzer wrote. "No formal offers could have been legally made for months, but Omega was No. 1 on the company's most wanted list."

AEW is a young company. It makes mistakes. And there's no question that some wrestlers have stalled since joining the bloated roster. However, there are more success stories than failures. And for some struggling talent, there is enough time on their deals to turn things around. 

Bischoff's continued issues with AEW make little sense. The company has endured a tough year yet still came away with a new TV rights deal. They had another huge event at Wembley earlier this year, and they're slowly building stars to lead the company forward. 

Yes, AEW isn't as big as WWE and likely never will be. But that doesn't mean punching down at every opportunity is fair.