Wrestlers battle during a tag team battle royal during AEW Dynamite at Footprint Center. Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Matt Hardy's comments on AEW are spot on

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Feb 24, 2025 6:51 PM ET

AEW is slowly heating up after a 12-month cold spell. The company has begun churning out interesting storylines to complement its elite in-ring talent.

However, there are still some lessons the young company needs to learn. The most important of those lessons is how to sustain interest in a wrestler when they're "getting over," or making a connection, with the fanbase.

Former AEW talent and wrestling legend Matt Hardy recently spoke about the company's need to start putting the character first rather than the in-ring production. That way, the company can build stars rather than see interest wane over short periods of time.

"This is entertainment property at the end of the day," Hardy said on his "The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy" podcast. "It’s nice. There are a lot of people who can do great things, wrestling-wise, be very athletic. But like because (Harley Cameron) doesn’t match up? If you’re an over character, and people are interested, it’s going to help sell tickets and move merch, and someone that is popular, utilize them and make the most out of it."

AEW has enjoyed multiple talents riding a wave of interest. The Acclaimed, MJF, Will Ospreay and countless others have all garnered significant interest outside of the fanbase for stretches of time. However, where AEW falters is its ability to sustain and build on that interest.

Harley Cameron is the latest rising star within the company. While she's inexperienced in terms of in-ring production, she has the charisma to be a genuine face of the women's division. Therefore, it makes sense to push her storylines and let her develop on the fly. Limiting her in-ring work will only serve to let her character go cold like countless others before her.

Khan and his creative team must learn from past mistakes. Without genuine stars, the company will struggle to grow and attract casual viewers. Cameron has the chance to be a major draw. If AEW fails to capitalize on its current popularity, then some serious questions must be asked about how it intends to create stars within the company.

Regardless of how deep the company's pockets are, homegrown stars will always be the bread and butter of a wrestling promotion. Hopefully, we see a shift in AEW's approach. Its recent improvements elsewhere should provide hope for the fanbase that, sooner or later, it will figure things out.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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