The 2023 Moments AEW Wants Its Fans To Forget

No matter what sport you follow, each one has its share of highs and lows every year. We're talking incredible wins, devastating losses, surprise standouts, unexpected injuries, and everything in between. That was certainly the case for wrestling in 2023, with a good mix of ups and downs balancing things out.

Of course, while there may have been plenty of highs, it can sometimes be difficult to look past the lows. All Elite Wrestling would certainly like people to try, though, when it comes to the things that happened last year. There were some moments that defined last year for AEW, but not always in the best way, leading to the 2023 moments AEW wants its fans to forget.

The Outcasts were under-utilized and wasted some notable names

AEW has some real star power in its ranks, but it doesn't always seem to know what to do with these standouts. The Outcasts are an excellent example of that. They debuted at the start of the year and featured Toni Storm, Saraya, and Ruby Soho as a collective. Fans of the promotion will know that these three should have been an unstoppable force capable of creating many exceptional moments throughout the year. However, they were under-utilized, with no major events showcasing what they could do. It's like AEW never had any long-term plans for the collective, with Storm now no longer with the group.

AEW seemed to have trouble selling tickets to events at times

All Elite Wrestling was only founded in 2019, so it's still in its infancy compared to some wrestling promotions. Unfortunately, because it's so new and has to compete with the likes of WWE, it can't really afford to have too many growing pains. So, the fact that 2023 marked a potential decrease in ticket sales was hardly ideal. Although various PPV events featured packed crowds, some of the less notable events revealed a concerning number of empty seats. If AEW is struggling to find customers, especially after it had such a stellar start, then that raises concerns that things aren't going in the right direction. Here's hoping 2024 can turn things around in this regard.

Tony Khan went too far hyping up all of his announcements in 2023

Announcements are supposed to be exciting, especially in the world of sports. However, in 2023, Tony Khan managed to turn them into something people dreaded, even if the revelation was worth being pumped about. It was all because he made too big of a deal of hyping up every announcement. It became such a trope over the last year that fans now regularly mock Khan for it, and it's made big news in the promotion feel a little less exciting. AEW would be wise to try to change the perception of this in 2024 so that fans once again feel something positive when they hear that an announcement is coming.

QTV didn't feel like it belonged in a promotion like AEW

We respect when wrestling promotions attempt new things to see what will appeal to fans. Unfortunately, these efforts don't always pay off, as was the case with QTV. Having QT Marshall gossiping behind the scenes about other wrestlers didn't vibe with many viewers, who felt this TMZ style didn't fit AEW. The collaboration with people like Powerhouse Hobbs, Johnny TV, and Harley Cameron also felt like a strange mismatch of stars. Some believed the QTV segments were more fitting for a promotion like WWE, something that doesn't exactly help AEW set itself apart from the competition. With Marshall leaving at the end of 2023, this is hopefully the last that we'll hear of QTV.

CM Punk's controversies eventually resulted in him being fired

Wrestling has its share of controversial figures, and many would argue this is needed to some extent. However, there is definitely a line, and plenty of fans would agree that CM Punk crossed that. He had no shortage of controversies, from a reported altercation with Jack Perry to allegedly banning people from going to AEW Collision tapings. Although CM Punk was ultimately fired, this didn't necessarily help matters because of how prominent he was in the promotion. All in all, his presence in AEW in 2023 is something that's going to be impossible to forget. It also raises some questions about what All Elite Wrestling will let people get away with in the future.

Whether or not fans will forget about these moments from AEW in 2023 all depends on how much of a personal impact they had. However, we doubt they'll be fading into the past just yet. Perhaps if the promotion is able to turn things around in 2024, these questionable moments may soon become a distant memory? Unfortunately, even if that does happen, there will inevitably be some incidents over the next year that simply take their place.