Who should be in the first wave of AEW 'deavours?

[Jello Biafra]

With all the talk about which free agents should be signed by AEW it also has come up just how big the AEW roster is and how keeping that large of a roster isn't feasible for the company's bottom line. For this exercise I didn't include non-regularly active wrestlers like Sting, the mentors/managers like Arn and Tully or any of the backstage/broadcast signings like Mark Henry or Big Show.
So if you were Tony Khan for a day who would you cut from the AEW active wrestler roster?

ACTIVE ROSTER - MEN
Aaron Solo
Adam Page
Alan Angels (The Dark Order)
Alex Reynolds (The Dark Order)
Andrade El Idolo
Angelico (Hybrid2)
Anthony Bowens (The Acclaimed)
Anthony Ogogo
Austin Gunn
Billy Gunn
The Blade (The Butcher & The Blade)
Brandon Cutler
Brian Cage
Brian Pillman Jr (The Varsity Blonds)
The Butcher (The Butcher & The Blade)
Cash Wheeler (FTR)
Chris Jericho
Christian Cage
Christopher Daniels
Chuck Taylor (Best Friends)
Cody Rhodes
Colt Cabana (The Dark Order)
Colten Gunn
Dante Martin (Top Flight)
Darby Allin
Darius Martin (Top Flight)
Dax Harwood (FTR)
Dustin Rhodes
Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page
Evil Uno (The Dark Order)
Frankie Kazarian
Griff Garrison (Varsity Blonds)
Isiah Kassidy Private Party)
Jack Evans (Hybrid2)
Jake Hager
Joey Janela
John Silver (The Dark Order)
Jon Moxley
Jungle Boy (Jurassic Express)
Kenny Omega
Kip Sabian
Lance Archer
Lee Johnson
Luchasaurus (Jurassic Express)
Luther
Marko Stunt (Jurassic Express)
Marq Quen (Private Party)
Matt Hardy
Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks)
Matt Sydal
Max Caster (The Acclaimed)
Michael Nakazawa
Miro
MJF
Malakai Black
Nick Comorotto
Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks)
Orange Cassidy
Ortiz (Proud & Powerful)
Pac
Penta El Zero M (Lucha Brothers)
Powerhouse Hobbs
Preston Vance (The Dark Order)
Peter Avalon
QT Marshall
Rey Fenix Lucha Brothers)
Ricky Starks
Sammy Guevara
Santana (Proud & Powerful)
Scorpio Sky
Shawn Dean
Shawn Spears
Sonny Kiss
Stu Grayson
Trent (Best Friends)
Wardlow

ACTIVE ROSTER - WOMEN
Abadon
The Bunny
Anna Jay
Big Swole
Brandi Rhodes
Britt Baker
Emi Sakura
Hikaru Shida
Jade Cargill
Kris Statlander
Leva Bates
Leyla Hirsch
Mel
Nyla Rose
Penelope Ford
Red Velvet
Riho
Serena Deeb
Tay Conti
Thunder Rosa
Yuka Sakazaki

 

[Jello Biafra]

My cuts would be:

Aaron Solo
Anthony Ogogo (think he has tons of potential but the eye issue seems like it is going to always be a problem)
Austin Gunn
Billy Gunn
Colten Gunn
Brandon Cutler
Christopher Daniels (he needs to move to a backstage role)
Colt Cabana (move him to a coach/backstage role)
Dustin Rhodes (time for retirement and becoming a full time road agent)
Frankie Kazarian (he's not going to get higher than midcard level in AEW so I'd let him go so he could go back to Impact or ROH and become a top of the card guy in those places)
Joey Janela
Kip Sabian
Luther
Michael Nakazawa
Pete Avalon (he would make a great heel manager but I'd cut him as a wrestler)
QT Marshall (he could be the de facto trainer for new AEW projects but he'd be cut from the active roster)
Shawn Spears
Leva Bates
Mel
Nyla Rose (it was either Nyla or Sonny Kiss because you can't fire both without GLAAD or HRC coming for you and Nyla hurts people too much)

 

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

Janela is their link to the indies - can't see him going anywhere.
Kip and Penelope would probably fit on NXT, until Vince sees her, calls them both up and buries him.
Cutler is on the Memphis Bleek deal probably good for life, being that he's friends with the Bucks
Nakazawa - I think I read he's the point person for the Japanese talent.
I would like to see Ogogo stick around. I like the Balrog vibe he brings with his offence being largely punches.

I do think that they have really benefited from the fact they let their talent go work the indies, though.

 

[Jello Biafra]

Janela is their link to the indies - can't see him going anywhere.
Kip and Penelope would probably fit on NXT, until Vince sees her, calls them both up and buries him.
Cutler is on the Memphis Bleek deal probably good for life, being that he's friends with the Bucks
Nakazawa - I think I read he's the point person for the Japanese talent.
I would like to see Ogogo stick around. I like the Balrog vibe he brings with his offence being largely punches.

I do think that they have really benefited from the fact they let their talent go work the indies, though.

That is such an accurate prediction.

 

[Metal Face]

Aaron Solo
Entire Dork Order
Brandon Cutler
Jake Hager
Marko Stunt
Michael Nakazawa
QT Marshall
Nyla Rose
Yuka Sakazaki

Bush all these mfs

 

[TOAD99]

With all the talk about which free agents should be signed by AEW it also has come up just how big the AEW roster is and how keeping that large of a roster isn't feasible for the company's bottom line. For this exercise I didn't include non-regularly active wrestlers like Sting, the mentors/managers like Arn and Tully or any of the backstage/broadcast signings like Mark Henry or Big Show.
So if you were Tony Khan for a day who would you cut from the AEW active wrestler roster?

ACTIVE ROSTER - MEN
Aaron Solo
Adam Page
Alan Angels (The Dark Order)
Alex Reynolds (The Dark Order)
Andrade El Idolo
Angelico (Hybrid2)
Anthony Bowens (The Acclaimed)
Anthony Ogogo
Austin Gunn
Billy Gunn
The Blade (The Butcher & The Blade)
Brandon Cutler
Brian Cage
Brian Pillman Jr (The Varsity Blonds)
The Butcher (The Butcher & The Blade)
Cash Wheeler (FTR)
Chris Jericho
Christian Cage
Christopher Daniels
Chuck Taylor (Best Friends)
Cody Rhodes
Colt Cabana (The Dark Order)
Colten Gunn
Dante Martin (Top Flight)
Darby Allin
Darius Martin (Top Flight)
Dax Harwood (FTR)
Dustin Rhodes
Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page
Evil Uno (The Dark Order)
Frankie Kazarian
Griff Garrison (Varsity Blonds)
Isiah Kassidy Private Party)
Jack Evans (Hybrid2)
Jake Hager
Joey Janela
John Silver (The Dark Order)
Jon Moxley
Jungle Boy (Jurassic Express)
Kenny Omega
Kip Sabian
Lance Archer
Lee Johnson
Luchasaurus (Jurassic Express)
Luther
Marko Stunt (Jurassic Express)
Marq Quen (Private Party)
Matt Hardy
Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks)
Matt Sydal
Max Caster (The Acclaimed)
Michael Nakazawa
Miro
MJF
Malakai Black
Nick Comorotto
Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks)
Orange Cassidy
Ortiz (Proud & Powerful)
Pac
Penta El Zero M (Lucha Brothers)
Powerhouse Hobbs
Preston Vance (The Dark Order)
Peter Avalon
QT Marshall
Rey Fenix Lucha Brothers)
Ricky Starks
Sammy Guevara
Santana (Proud & Powerful)
Scorpio Sky
Shawn Dean
Shawn Spears
Sonny Kiss
Stu Grayson
Trent (Best Friends)
Wardlow

The bolded off the top of my head​

 

[Him]

Shawn Spears




Breh thought he would go to AEW and be somebody. They turned him into a jobber in his first feud.

 

[AKM-95]

Honestly I would send 3 or 4 of the young acts out on excursion for a while like Lee Johnson,
Nick Comorotto, and top flight and cycle them in and out as well. But for the cuts I would release basically bland and non used. Talent like,

Aaron solo - dude needs a character
Luther- he can be kept in a back stage role but as a on screen character no.
Kip Sabian- dude is bland
Mel - she hasn't been used in forever

 

[jackswstd]

People seem to forget that a lot of the people who show up on DARK are paid per appearance.

 

[Brad Piff]

With all the talk about which free agents should be signed by AEW it also has come up just how big the AEW roster is and how keeping that large of a roster isn't feasible for the company's bottom line. For this exercise I didn't include non-regularly active wrestlers like Sting, the mentors/managers like Arn and Tully or any of the backstage/broadcast signings like Mark Henry or Big Show.
So if you were Tony Khan for a day who would you cut from the AEW active wrestler roster?

ACTIVE ROSTER - MEN
Aaron Solo
Adam Page
Alan Angels (The Dark Order)
Alex Reynolds (The Dark Order)
Andrade El Idolo
Angelico (Hybrid2)
Anthony Bowens (The Acclaimed)
Anthony Ogogo
Austin Gunn
Billy Gunn
The Blade (The Butcher & The Blade)
Brandon Cutler
Brian Cage
Brian Pillman Jr (The Varsity Blonds)
The Butcher (The Butcher & The Blade)
Cash Wheeler (FTR)
Chris Jericho
Christian Cage
Christopher Daniels
Chuck Taylor (Best Friends)
Cody Rhodes
Colt Cabana (The Dark Order)
Colten Gunn
Dante Martin (Top Flight)
Darby Allin
Darius Martin (Top Flight)
Dax Harwood (FTR)
Dustin Rhodes
Eddie Kingston
Ethan Page
Evil Uno (The Dark Order)
Frankie Kazarian
Griff Garrison (Varsity Blonds)
Isiah Kassidy Private Party)
Jack Evans (Hybrid2)
Jake Hager
Joey Janela
John Silver (The Dark Order)
Jon Moxley
Jungle Boy (Jurassic Express)
Kenny Omega
Kip Sabian
Lance Archer
Lee Johnson
Luchasaurus (Jurassic Express)
Luther
Marko Stunt (Jurassic Express)
Marq Quen (Private Party)
Matt Hardy
Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks)
Matt Sydal
Max Caster (The Acclaimed)
Michael Nakazawa
Miro
MJF
Malakai Black
Nick Comorotto
Nick Jackson (The Young Bucks)
Orange Cassidy
Ortiz (Proud & Powerful)
Pac
Penta El Zero M (Lucha Brothers)
Powerhouse Hobbs
Preston Vance (The Dark Order)
Peter Avalon
QT Marshall
Rey Fenix Lucha Brothers)
Ricky Starks
Sammy Guevara
Santana (Proud & Powerful)
Scorpio Sky
Shawn Dean
Shawn Spears
Sonny Kiss
Stu Grayson
Trent (Best Friends)
Wardlow

ACTIVE ROSTER - WOMEN
Abadon
The Bunny
Anna Jay
Big Swole
Brandi Rhodes
Britt Baker
Emi Sakura
Hikaru Shida
Jade Cargill
Kris Statlander
Leva Bates
Leyla Hirsch
Mel
Nyla Rose
Penelope Ford
Red Velvet
Riho
Serena Deeb
Tay Conti
Thunder Rosa
Yuka Sakazaki

Honestly they should only keep about 25 people from this entire list. The rest can kick rocks.

 

[Jello Biafra]

People seem to forget that a lot of the people who show up on DARK are paid per appearance.

I used the list of people under contract from the AEW site's roster page.

 

[Starboy52]

If Marko Stunt is still on the roster come New Years...

 

[Tres Leches]

Aaron solo
Joey jetella

 

[Hey_zeus]

Depends... what's the budget?

 

[Mr. Manhattan]

Marko Stunt
Joey Janela

Sonny Kiss (which i doubt they ever release because LGBTQ will be in that ass )

Shawn Spears
LUTHER (wtf is this thing doing here)
Brian Cage
the whole Dark Order