The division that refuses to stop growing
AEW is apparently looking at their tag team division—which is already more crowded than a subway car in Tokyo during rush hour—and deciding that seven new acts are exactly what we need. If you believe the latest report from WrestleTalk, Tony Khan is ready to inject a massive dose of fresh blood into a roster that honestly struggles to give screen time to the guys already collecting paychecks on the bench.
The reaction, predictably, has been absolute chaos. You have the people who think more is always better, the people who are tired of the constant rotation, and the silent camp waiting to see if these acts can actually cut an engaging promo. It is the purest distillation of modern wrestling fandom: wanting new toys while complaining that the toy box is already overflowing.
The enthusiasts vs. the booking skeptics
The optimists are currently throwing confetti because, let's be real, fresh matchups are the lifeblood of this company. There is a section of the subreddit that genuinely thinks a influx of new talent is the only way to shake off the creative cobwebs. We have seen the same three teams go at it for years, and while the work rate is high, the stakes feel lower than a bargain bin DVD.
Then you have the crowd that looks at this with a massive headache. One user pointed out that when you have dozens of teams on the books, adding seven more just means the bottom two-thirds of the roster are going to be relegated to internet-only shows or dark matches that nobody actually watches. It is the classic paradox of choice; when everything is a featured star, nobody is a star.
The contrarian view on tag team frequency
Some people are just here to stir the pot, claiming that AEW’s obsession with tag teams distracts from the main event scene. They argue that if you took all the talent currently stuck in tag matches and spent that time building a coherent narrative for a world title challenger, the show would be infinitely more watchable. It is a harsh take, but not without merit when you consider how often the top belts get cold.
We have to talk about the quality control issue here too. Putting seven new groups into the machinery doesn't mean we get seven new editions of FTR versus the Young Bucks. It often means we get four months of squash matches that do absolutely nothing for the losers and very little to convince anyone that the winners are ready for a title shot against the current champions.
My take on the looming roster bloat
Listen, I love tag team wrestling more than I love finding an open seat at the bar right before the main event kicks off. But adding seven new teams when you have guys like The Butcher and The Blade or Private Party barely getting a sniff of televised gold is bad business. It is like ordering a second pizza when you haven't even finished the first one, and the first one is already starting to get cold.
The report doesn't clarify if these are brand-new signings or just re-packaged talent. If it is the former, we are looking at a roster that needs a map and a compass just to find the locker room. If it is the latter, I am praying they actually have a hook. A high-flying move set is nice, but if the crowd doesn't give a damn about your characters, you are just doing gymnastics for a paycheck.
The real issue is that AEW has been doing this since day one. They load up on talent, give us a bunch of dream matches for six weeks, and then drift into a weird middle ground where nobody seems to be going anywhere. We are sitting at 18 days away from Double or Nothing, and if the card ends up stuffed to the brim with tags that have zero buildup, don't come crying to me when the pacing starts to sag like a cheap ring rope.
I will admit, there is a small chance these seven teams could be the missing piece of the puzzle. Maybe they are the guys who actually know how to tell a story in the ring without needing sixty minutes to do it. But until I see them actually make someone care beyond a cool double-team spot, I am keeping my expectations firmly in the gutter. Booking a roster is about subtraction as much as it is about addition, and right now, AEW is doing a whole lot of adding.
