The missing top tier and the Redemption problem
AEW is heading into this weekend's Redemption pay-per-view with a noticeably thin top card. When your main event scene is missing two of its biggest box-office draws, the booking friction becomes obvious to anyone tracking weekly segment flow.
Former AEW World Champions MJF and Swerve Strickland have both been absent from television in the critical weeks leading into the show. AEW CEO Tony Khan addressed MJF's absence, citing storyline and scheduling factors heading into Redemption, while also clarifying Swerve Strickland's status with the company after fans noticed his sudden disappearance from top-line feuds.
Shedding two legitimate main-event anchors right before a major pay-per-view forces midcard roster depth directly into the spotlight. It tests whether the secondary titles can hold 15-minute main event TV slots without ratings bleeding during the overrun.
Midcard pivots and the singles trial for Mark Davis
That structural shift puts immense pressure on champions like Mark Davis. The AEW National Champion has been forced to pivot from his established tag team rhythm into a solo workhorse role.
Mark Davis recently commented on expanding into the singles division as National Champion, acknowledging the mechanical adjustments required when transitioning from tag-team pacing to singles main events. Tag wrestling relies heavily on hot-tag resets and corner rest spots; singles work demands continuous ring control and precise bump timing.
Davis has the physical tools, but carrying 20-minute pay-per-view singles matches requires a completely different pacing cadence. If Davis stumbles against top-tier opposition, AEW's midcard title prestige takes a direct hit when it needs stability most.
Roster bloat versus the free agent temptation
Compounding the booking puzzle is the massive pool of talent currently floating in the market. A fresh wave of former WWE talent has cleared non-compete clauses, presenting Tony Khan with his recurring dilemma: expansion versus roster bloat.
Khan discussed the current glut of free agents, weighing potential acquisitions against AEW's already crowded locker room. Adding high-profile names creates short-term buzz, but it routinely starves home-grown midcard talent of TV time.
AEW's history shows a recurring pattern: shiny new debuts get a 3-week push before sinking into multiman dark-match cycles. Signing more talent without clearing undercard dead weight will only worsen segment congestion on Dynamite.
Honor roll legacy and the Athena metric
Meanwhile, the Ring of Honor brand continues to operate in a strange parallel ecosystem. Khan also addressed reviving the ROH Hall of Fame, which has sat dormant with just 1 induction class since launching in 2022.
Khan floated Athena as a potential inductee for a future ROH Hall of Fame class. Athena's historic reign as ROH Women's World Champion has been the dominant anchor of HonorClub programming for over two years, carrying the brand's main-event metrics single-handedly.
However, putting the ROH Hall of Fame on ice for years reflects the broader issue: ROH remains an afterthought in AEW's primary television architecture. Inducting Athena is deserved, but it won't fix ROH's lack of consistent broadcast distribution.
Prediction: Redemption will deliver in ring, but booking flaws remain
AEW Redemption will rely heavily on in-ring execution to mask structural storyline absences. Expect Mark Davis to retain his National Championship in a physical 18-minute bout that validates his singles transition.
However, the lack of MJF and Swerve Strickland on the card will cap the show's emotional ceiling. Khan's habit of teasing marquee free agents might yield a pop on the night, but without long-term episodic narrative control, Redemption will feel like a high-end exhibition rather than a pivotal pay-per-view landmark.
