Which Established AEW Wrestlers Need Character Progression?

Stagnation- HOOK 

The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil has changed his theme song, but everything is the same. Ironically, it’s the lyrics to HOOK’s old theme that sum up the character’s limitations. We don’t really know him. In 2024, I discussed how HOOK’s character combines the Shounen anime hero archetype with a meme-like presence. Feeling both real and absurd, like a meme, worked for a time. Nothing significant has changed in the two years since.

Turning HOOK heel has felt half-hearted and superficial. The sporadic booking, limited in-ring appearances and mic time seem samey. Still stoic, eating chips, throwing suplexes in the same gear. It’s an extension of the flight-pattern booking of Hook teams with either an oddball or stylistically aligned partner. HOOK occupies the same card position he’s always held. Hook’s not the only one who makes Bryan Alvarez’s criticism meaningful. Think Private Party, Top Flight, and Daniel Garcia.

Fans need some element of personality or a characterisation to grapple with. It’s possible in AEW to be a bada-- with layers. The Death Riders have four distinct models, each with its own sharp edges, but they also share Kryptonite-like weaknesses.  HOOK, and others in the same position, need to take a risk. Change something that takes the character somewhere new. Or start over. Ultimately, if the wrestlers are happy with their position, that’s their choice. As fans, we should learn to respect that.

Inaction- Roderick Strong

RODERICK(!) Strong in AEW has personality, which can easily get overlooked. I’m guilty of that. I had to cut Strong from a list of 10 wrestlers with better characters in AEW than WWE. A ring general and Messiah of the Banger match can make fans laugh. Strong also made many of us feel as he struggled to claim a solitary victory in the Continental Classic.

AEW’s slowness and refusal to allow Strong’s character to progress his arc without explanation undercuts credibility. Strong cannot sanction the Conglomeration’s buffoonery. The dynamic is funny and yet tangible. Strong is like the kid at school whose best friend has other friends in a different “gang”. He both wants to view them as beneath him and yet is jealous; he can’t admit he would like to join. At least, that’s how it seems. The payoff seems delayed. The story is told in tiny bits. Eventually, inaction will undermine the intentions.

With the feud with Death Riders seemingly wound down, the glue binding Strong and the Conglomeration loosens. Something must happen, or Strong becomes Flanderized, if arguably, Strong isn’t already. Look at that moustache. Inactivity has also been a problem for Orange Cassidy until recently. Plus, many of the wrestlers who failed to fight the Death Riders last year looked like chumps. As shown with HOOK, the meme doesn’t last forever. So please, in 2026, Roderick Strong, “C’mon conglomerate”.

Remove the Floaties- Kyle Fletcher

Kyle Fletcher is a phenomenon and one of the best wrestlers in AEW and the world. The Protostar’s booking is solid. The pink gear makes him look like a walking phallus. His slimy, cocky charisma and ability to consistently put on banger matches make him a fan favourite. Fletcher has personality. When Fletcher took out Kenny Omega before All Out 2025, stole one of the commentary booth headsets, and started screaming he killed Kenny, I popped with joy and outrage. The problem is that I want more microphone time.

Presently, Fletcher seems defined by his wrestling ability. This keeps him in the shadow of forerunners like former friend Will Ospreay and potential future opponent Kenny Omega. Fletcher feels like he’s following their footsteps rather than carving his own path. The Don Callis Family has elevated Fletcher to a level, but for now, the Australian has hit a ceiling.

Like Ospreay before him, Fletcher needs to be allowed to show himself as a weekly TV wrestling character to cement himself.  Let Fletcher swim with the sharks because the floaties are limiting progression. This issue of star rotation/restriction has impacted others. Think Konosuke Takeshita and former AEW mainstays, like the Lucha Brothers.

It seems we’re going to get a split or splintering of the Don Callis Family at some point this year. This will give Fletcher and Takeshita an opportunity. On a roster of GOATs, Fletcher, Takeshita, and others need to be allowed to use all their tools to define themselves with distinction.

Motive- Gabe Kidd/Eddie Kingston

Whether Gabe Kidd jumps to AEW from NJPW full-time or remains the Death Rider’s “Hired Gun”, the Madman needs motivation to define his character. Part of the problem with Kidd’s character is a lack of clarity that creates emotional disconnection. Sporadic appearances inherently impact the ability to create characterisation and a story, but even for knowledgeable fans of Kidd’s NJPW character, there are logic gaps. Even if you accept the head-canon, anti-AEW rants of Kidd on social media and interviews would logically see him aligned with the Death Riders’ mission to change AEW’s culture, why bother? Especially if NJPW is the priority.

Kid feels like a prop/obstacle rather than one of NJPW’s breakout stars because, despite his real-life experiences of mental health struggles, his brand of psychotic presence lacks the menace and definition of fellow Brit, PAC. The recent change in the Death Rider’s mission statement, AEW saving Jon Moxley, a turn could provide the catalyst and motivation.

Pruning- MJF

I love MJF’s character, except for the misogyny and uncomfortable “heat” that makes some fans tune out. That’s the opposite of what heat should do. Optimistically, I discussed how MJF’s second title reign will be better than his first because the foundations are stronger. However, MJF’s character still needs to be redefined. It’s a process that might be happening, but it’s going to take time and careful choices.

Two of AEW’s worst creative moments of 2025 involved MJF dialling his antics to 11. The promo with Jeff Jarrett and the flat ending of the Hurt Syndicate partnership caused derision. As a face of AEW since its inception, the material and act have gotten cliched. The curse of being so good so young has at times detrimentally impacted MJF. While fascinating, MJF’s “lore” sometimes tries to achieve too much too fast, stunting emotional investment.

MJF or AEW doesn’t need to reinvent the big spike-covered wheel. Instead, pruning some spikes, narrowing the character’s focus and arc would be enough to remind all fans why we loved MJF in the first place. Cutting the misogyny and masked prejudice changes nothing about MJF’s DNA.

Rather than trying to overcompensate with dominance over AEW, keeping it personal, like MJF’s best rivalries and storylines, could humanise MJF again. Then, when he fails to learn, the frustration is earned and engaging rather than off-putting. Narrowing the character’s arc and focus, and allowing opponents to shine, would align MJF more with Ric Flair than Triple H. Even cliches can be beloved again.