4 AEW stars Tony Khan has seemingly given up on this year
AEW boasts a very large roster at the moment. With Tony Khan signing every major free agent available in the market, the number of wrestlers in the Jackonville-based promotion keeps on increasing with every passing month.
In 2024, Khan brought in some major international stars to All Elite Wrestling, including Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, and Mercedes Mone. While the newly signed talents are pushed straight to the top, the other members of the roster keep falling down the ranks.
As exciting as it sounds, a huge talent pool significantly restricts a booker from providing a consistent push to the majority of the employed wrestlers. It is improbable for the creative team to come up with plans for so many stars simultaneously, which forces the booker to exclude certain talented performers from major storylines.
While Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson receive proper backing from Tony Khan, there are certain names he may have decided to move on from. In this article, let's look at four stars Tony Khan has seemingly given up on.
#4. Saraya has felt like an afterthought in All Elite Wrestling
Saraya debuted in All Elite Wrestling in September 2022. The former Divas Champion was brought in by Tony Khan to inject some much-needed star power into AEW's growing women's division.
The Anti-Diva's initial few months turned out well, with fans backing her to have a successful run in the promotion. However, things soon went south for the 31-year-old in AEW.
![Saraya debuted in All Elite Wrestling in 2022. [Image credits: AEW's YouTube channel]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/06/0b571-17188149949467-1920.jpg?w=500)
Saraya's run as the leader of The Outcasts was poorly booked, which dealt a huge blow to her credibility. The star was accused of holding back Toni Storm and Ruby Soho, who were already established stars in the promotion.
Although Saraya did win the AEW Women's Title at the All In pay-per-view in 2023, she failed to grab the attention of the audience.
With the emergence of new stars like Mercedes Mone, "Timeless" Toni Storm, and Willow Nightingale, the former PCB member seems to have taken a backseat. Saraya is rarely featured in any prominent program these days, which indicates that Tony Khan may have moved on from the former NXT Women's Champion.
#3. Danhausen has not appeared on AEW programming for a long time
Danhausen has been a part of the Jacksonville-based promotion since January 2022. In a company that focuses majorly on the quality of in-ring action, the "Very Nice Very Evil" star brought much-needed comedic relief to AEW.
His pairing with HOOK had started to pick up steam before the plans for the tag team eventually fell off. Since then Danhausen has appeared in random tag team matchups, without being featured in any prominent storyline.
It has been a long time since the spooky star last performed on AEW television, with his latest appearance coming in December 2023.
With All Elite Wrestling seemingly doubling down on strictly being a wrestling-based product, it is unlikely that Danhausen will receive a major push anytime soon.
#2. The Jacksonville-based promotion does not have any major plans for Wardlow
A few years ago, Wardlow was one of the hottest acts in AEW. Mr. Mayhem's growth into a reliable performer caught the attention of the audience, who demanded an immediate world title run for the monstrous star.
Wardlow eventually captured the TNT Championship in July 2022 by defeating Scorpio Sky in a Street Fight. After a few decent title defenses, things soon went downhill for the 36-year-old performer.
Mr. Mayhem lost his title to Samoa Joe at Full Gear 2022, which kicked off a hot-potato contest for the TNT Championship between Wardlow, Joe, and Powerhouse Hobbs. Multiple short reigns back-to-back destroyed the prestige of the title.
At the moment, the former Pinnacle member finds himself stuck in The Undisputed Kingdom. The group is one of the most poorly booked factions in AEW history, which has further diminished the hype surrounding the former TNT Champion.
With Wardlow currently relegated to being Adam Cole's lackey, it is evident that Tony Khan has given up on the once-in-a-lifetime performer.
#1. Ricky Starks is currently sitting on the sidelines
Ricky Starks is one of the most popular figures among the AEW audience. Known for his exceptional mic work, The Absolute One has captivated the fans with his consistent performances in the mid-card.
Unfortunately, the 34-year-old has never received a consistent push as a main eventer. Despite working with top talents throughout his stint in AEW, Starks has never gotten an extended run at the top of the card. The arrival of stars from other promotions has further pushed The Absolute One down the card, causing him to get lost in the shuffle.
The Stroke Daddy has remained off television since March 2024, owing to a lack of creative plans. If Tony Khan continues to neglect Starks' worth as a performer, the former FTW Champion could eventually jump ship to WWE at the end of his deal.