Booker T Believes AEW Missed Opportunity to Elevate Darby Allin's Stardom

On the latest episode of the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T discussed the current staleness of AEW, potential solutions to generate buzz, the lack of strong booking for Darby Allin, and more. Check out some highlights below:

Average Fans Not Knowing WWE Alumni Are in AEW

Booker T remarked, “I don’t think that’s what it is… I get that, but what I’m basing it off of, me being in TNA. Me going to cities, and there was no advertisement for us actually being in those cities. You know what I mean? And the arena’s right down the street. I see so many advertisements for AEW on so many different networks. I mean, just say, for instance, you pull your phone up and it might just pop up in one of the apps, or whatever. And the thing is, no matter where I’m at I see AEW advertisement. That’s not their problem. That’s not their problem. It is not that they’re not advertising."

AEW's Roster Size and Storytelling Challenges

Booker T shared his thoughts on AEW's extensive roster, stating, “I think AEW’s roster is so big, they have no way to really try to find a footing as far as trying to create stories. Because they have way too much talent. Just like WCW had back in the day. Thing was WCW, like I say, was hiring talent just to corner the market. Now is Tony Khan hiring all of these young talents just to corner the market? Perhaps, maybe. I don’t know. But if he is, he’s doing it the wrong way as well. Because why do you want to corner the market with a talent that’s not even a star yet? That makes no sense to me. That makes no sense. And then you got too many guys on the roster to build."

Lack of Star Development for Darby Allin

Reflecting on Darby Allin’s journey, Booker T commented, “Look at Darby Allin. Look at Darby. I mean, over the last five years this company has been in existence. Darby Allin — I mean, he’s had a great run with Sting. I don’t want to take that away from him or anything like that. But I think Sting got more of the rub that Darby Allin did. I mean, I could be wrong. I could be wrong there, but I feel that way. I don’t feel like Darby Allen has been built to the star that he could have been five years later.”

AEW Lacking Iconic Moments

Booker T emphasized the importance of memorable moments, recalling his own experience, “Man, it was funny, it was stupid, it was wrestling. And the most important thing about that? I knew my job, Steve knew his job. I knew what my job was that night. And we did it perfectly. I talked about, I never watched that up until two months ago. And when I watched it, I cried the whole time and I realize why people love it so much.”

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