AEW has always had an overstaffing problem. We'll see talent for a month or two and then don't see them again for a year unless we're watching a youtube show or they're in a main storyline. And it sucks. I feel bad for people like Ricky Starks, Keith Lee, Hikaru Shida, Miro, all the people who had hype and then weren't used. I know not everyone can get a main storyline all the time, but throw them a bone once every couple weeks at least.

Shida has ongoing Visa issues. Keith Lee is out due to health problems. Miro was especially hard to work with backstage (and I could imagine he was already WWE return bound around that time the story with the HoB went up in smoke). ...and Ricky Starks, no one knows the full story, except for those involved and I'm pretty sure both sides had their fair share in it.

I feel like a lot of people either forget or don't know, that many workers on the AEW payroll also work the Independent scene (and not just one-off appearances or only with a handful of selected promotions).

Attitudester said:

AEW has always had an overstaffing problem. We'll see talent for a month or two and then don't see them again for a year unless we're watching a youtube show or they're in a main storyline. And it sucks. I feel bad for people like Ricky Starks, Keith Lee, Hikaru Shida, Miro, all the people who had hype and then weren't used. I know not everyone can get a main storyline all the time, but throw them a bone once every couple weeks at least.

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Miro was refusing to job, Keith Lee has been injured and Shida is having visa issues. Also Starks is not even with them anymore and probs never should have been extended since he wanted to leave.

Roy Mustang said:

Miro was refusing to job, Keith Lee has been injured and Shida is having visa issues. Also Starks is not even with them anymore and probs never should have been extended since he wanted to leave.

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I remember hearing Miro refused to job, but I always take dirt sheet reporting with a grain of salt. Honestly, depending on the situation, I wouldn't blame him for refusing to job. Keith Lee has stated multiple times that he's fine and just waiting on the call. Shida was just on TV maybe a couple months ago and she looked like she'd put on some weight, so it doesn't appear to be a visa issue to me. Starks isn't with the company anymore but once the Team Taz run was over, he floated around the tag team division until he sat at home for a year or better.

Those are just a few names. What happened with Santana and Ortiz? Wardlow? Shawn Spears before he left? Britt Baker? Matt Sydal, Scorpio Sky, Kazarian, all of Dark Order... Countless people have just disappeared from AEW without a trace over the last few years.

Attitudester said:

I remember hearing Miro refused to job, but I always take dirt sheet reporting with a grain of salt. Honestly, depending on the situation, I wouldn't blame him for refusing to job. Keith Lee has stated multiple times that he's fine and just waiting on the call. Shida was just on TV maybe a couple months ago and she looked like she'd put on some weight, so it doesn't appear to be a visa issue to me. Starks isn't with the company anymore but once the Team Taz run was over, he floated around the tag team division until he sat at home for a year or better.

Those are just a few names. What happened with Santana and Ortiz? Wardlow? Shawn Spears before he left? Britt Baker? Matt Sydal, Scorpio Sky, Kazarian, all of Dark Order... Countless people have just disappeared from AEW without a trace over the last few years.

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Keith Lee has been off for health reasons, until he says he is cleared he to wrestle saying he is fine does not mean he is cleared. Big E says he is fine health wise, are WWE benching him? Shida has literally been confirmed by SRS to be a visa issue. Santana was injured for ages and they fell out, Ortiz is currently injured. Santana after their feud also wanted to leave. WARDLOW was injured for ages, had a car crash and is now off doing TV. Sky literally returned last week. Kaz is in TNA.

Also the bolded literally explains why you don't know because the majority have reasons why they are not on TV. Dark Order are on ROH weekly btw

Roy Mustang said:

Keith Lee has been off for health reasons, until he says he is cleared he to wrestle saying he is fine does not mean he is cleared. Big E says he is fine health wise, are WWE benching him? Shida has literally been confirmed by SRS to be a visa issue. Santana was injured for ages and they fell out, Ortiz is currently injured. Santana after their feud also wanted to leave. WARDLOW was injured for ages, had a car crash and is now off doing TV. Sky literally returned last week. Kaz is in TNA.

Also the bolded literally explains why you don't know because the majority have reasons why they are not on TV. Dark Order are on ROH weekly btw

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I only just started watching ROH last week so that's on me. I know Dark Order is on there now, but have they been the whole time? When it comes to Wardlow, what about after his feud with MJF? Where did the momentum go? He was wasted until the devil storyline with Adam Cole. But then what? Was he in a car accident directly after that storyline and been out this whole time? I don't buy that.

A couple years back there were rumors that Santana and Ortiz had a falling out. They did their match and have they even been used in AEW since then? I know Santana left eventually, but still, I can't remember a single time either of them were used afterwards. I don't even remember the last time Kaz was on AEW TV before leaving the company. Has he been with TNA since the pandemic era? Because that's literally the last time I remember seeing him in AEW.

To speak to the dirt sheet issue, I know they get things right some of the time. But sometimes, they're way off too. I'm not going to put all my stock into everything Meltzer reports. If Keith Lee says he's fine, use the guy. I highly doubt he'd announce to the world that he's fine if the doctors are saying he's not. It puts blame directly on the company and I doubt he'd create a false narrative just to get heat on himself with the company.

I understand I haven't watched consistently in a few years, but this was honestly a big reason I stopped watching AEW. The start/stop on so many wrestlers just got frustrating for me. Miro could've been so much more in that company. If him refusing to job was the reason for him being kept off TV, then shame on Tony Khan and company for not finding a different solution. If he was pulling a Bob Holly and saying "Let me beat everybody and give me the belt" then that's a different story. Again though, highly unlikely. Wardlow was frustrating. The Hardys were frustrating (Yes, I know, Jeff got arrested), Eddie Kingston (I believe he's said he's ready to come back), Jay Lethal, hell even Kip Sabien disappeared for a long time. I'm not even a fan of some of these people, but at least be consistent with them.