Wrestling awards show AEW still has a long way to go

The WWE has been the premier wrestling company for over three decades. It is now preparing to take another leap forward, as it will move onto Netflix in January, opening it up to an even bigger audience than the millions of fans it already boasts. 

However, in recent years, AEW has given the company a run for its money. Bankrolled by Tony Khan, AEW has rapidly established itself as the second-best wrestling promotion in the world. Khan has built arguably the deepest roster of any company in history. 

However, AEW is still young, and it has yet to figure out how to turn talent into stars. Khan would have been reminded about this when ESPN released its wrestling awards on Thursday. 

In total, there were nine categories. WWE talent scooped seven of those categories despite some of the winners being questionable decisions. Nevertheless, AEW's mauling in the award voting is proof that great in-ring matches aren't enough to get you recognized by the wider wrestling community. WWE has shown that storyline-driven content engages wrestling fans on a global scale. 

Jacob Fatu's selection as the "debut wrestler of the year" is a shining example of WWE's dominance. Fatu was instantly thrust into "The Bloodline" story. As such, he was introduced to millions of wrestling fans and portrayed in a way that made his dominance quickly become a core part of his character. 

AEW doesn't have the reach, fanbase or storytelling ability to generate that type of heat for a wrestler. As such, its ability to rapidly get a talent over with millions of people at once is nonexistent. Furthermore, the fact that so many winners were part of huge storylines was another subliminal message AEW may have picked up on. 

At the end of the day, AEW's different approach to wrestling makes it a viable alternative to WWE. However, Khan must find a way to blend what is successful with what makes his company different. WWE's dominance in the award voting is proof that there's still plenty of work to be done. 

Fortunately, AEW is still a young and growing company. There's plenty of time for the company to discover its true identity and begin embarking on another period of accelerated growth.