February 10 was a major day in wrestling, as Ricky Starks, Malakai Black, and Miro were all released from AEW. With their departures, fans have begun speculating on their next moves, with many believing they could make their way to WWE.
For Black and Miro, a WWE return would be familiar territory, as both were previously released from the company earlier in the decade. On his Hall of Fame podcast with Brad Gilmore, Booker T shared his thoughts on their AEW run and why some wrestlers struggle in that environment.
Booker T compared AEWs system to his own experience transitioning from WWE to TNA, saying that moving from a highly structured company to a more independent-style promotion can be a difficult adjustment. He explained that in WWE, everything is professionally handled, from travel to creative direction, whereas in AEW, wrestlers often have to create their own stories.
Specifically addressing Malakai Black, Booker T stated that the lack of creative direction in AEW hurt his career. He pointed out that while the idea of the House of Black was great, the faction had no clear direction or storyline. Without a structured creative team, Black had to figure things out himself, which made it harder for him to succeed.
Booker T also talked about Miro, criticizing the fact that he had to write his own promos. He argued that not every wrestler should be responsible for creating their own material and compared it to Hollywood actors showing up with their own scripts. He suggested that leaving WWEs structured environment ultimately hurt these wrestlers careers rather than helping them.
With Black, Miro, and Starks now free agents, many fans are wondering what their next moves will be. If they return to WWE, they could benefit from Triple Hs leadership, which has been more focused on long-term storytelling.
Do you agree with Booker T that AEWs lack of structure hurt these wrestlers? Or do you think they will bounce back stronger elsewhere? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
