Konnan says WWE labelled current AEW star as ‘lazy’ and ‘blowing up quick’
Wrestling veteran Konnan recently claimed that WWE had labeled a current AEW star as "lazy." The talent in question is none other than Keith Lee.
The Limitless One has been out of action since December of last year. He was scheduled to face Swerve Strickland at Worlds End 2023 but was ultimately pulled out from the pay-per-view owing to an undisclosed injury. Lee underwent double surgeries earlier this year, and no exact details are available regarding his return to AEW programming.
On a recent edition of his Keepin' It 100 OFFICIAL podcast, Konnan spoke about his past work experience with Keith Lee, praising the latter's in-ring talent. He further claimed that during his time in WWE, which began when the Texas native signed with the Stamford-based promotion in 2018, debuting on NXT under Triple H's leadership, Lee was considered "lazy," with issues supposedly arising over his stamina.
Konnan went on to critique Lee's presentation in All Elite Wrestling, questioning his decision to sport gray hair, which he claimed gave the former NXT Champion the impression of being older than he really was. Furthermore, he panned the Tony Khan-led promotion for not compellingly utilizing Lee on AEW television.
"I feel sorry for Keith Lee because I worked with him in the indies in Crash, and he was incredible and I think that's why they thought he was gonna be a game-changer. And then when he went to NXT, and we both got this from the same source, he was labelled as lazy, blowing up quick. Then he went over to AEW and for a while he was coming out with grey hair and a grey beard, I was like, 'Bro, you look way older than you really are, why are you doing that?' And they never really did anything that interesting with him and he just got too big to be the wrestler he was before," Konnan said. [1:33 - 2:11]
You can watch the podcast below:
What the future has in store for the 39-year-old star remains to be seen.
Keith Lee thanked his supporters amid his AEW absence
Keith Lee was last seen in the squared circle on the December 23, 2023, episode of AEW Collision, in which he defeated Brian Cage in singles action. The 39-year-old star has been signed with the Jacksonville-based promotion since 2022, although the quality of his run in the company has been a subject of contention.
In a recent post on X/Twitter, Lee sent a message of appreciation to his fans. The former AEW World Tag Team Champion thanked his admirers for reaching out and conveying their support.
"I don't spend a lot of time with social media these days. But I wanted to make sure I popped on here to give thanks to many of you... The ones who reach out privately. The ones who tweet publicly. The ones who share positive things. I see you. I thank you. I appreciate you," Keith Lee shared.
It remains to be seen when Keith Lee makes his comeback to All Elite Wrestling.