AEW is home to several underutilized wrestlers, and Miro is one of the top examples. Tony Khan has made a habit of scooping up the brightest free agents available, giving them a big debut, and not really knowing what to do with them afterward. It's happened repeatedly—especially in 2022, when the signings have been fast and furious—leaving talented performers like Miro twisting in the wind, waiting for something to do. While he's taken to liking tweets calling for him to be on television more, he hasn't taken the Andrade El Idolo route of trying to get fired via backstage antics.
During a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, Lana spoke about why she thinks AEW hasn't utilized her husband. "Tony Khan has a vision. At the end of the day, let's just really, if it's 100% real, I think there's this illusion at AEW that the talent books the show. That was definitely the conversation, 'Oh, you go there, and you're basically going to become whatever you're made of', but at the end of the day, he's booking the show." Lana continued, explaining that wrestling and show business are one and the same. "Tony Khan has his favorites, and he's going to push the favorites just like Vince would push his favorites, just like Hunter is going to push his people. It's show business. It's nothing personal. It just is what it is... It's casting. It's the director. It's the showrunner, and at the end of the day, we are hired talent. If you really don't like the person you're working for, then go start your own wrestling promotion and see how that goes for you." (h/t and a thank you to Michael Schrute of WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
Miro Is Too Good To Keep On The Sidelines In AEW
With several hours of live wrestling to fill each week, there's no reason for Miro to not be more involved in AEW programming. Since returning to wrestle Johnny Dynamite on June 1, he's only had one other one-on-one bout while also appearing at Forbidden Door and All Out. His tag match at All Out, where he teamed up with Darby Allin and Sting to take on the House Of Black, was the last time he wrestled. That was on September 4; Miro hasn't been used on Dynamite or Rampage since. The Redeemer is an interesting chracter, and one that Miro has the chops to explore on weekly television. Keeping him on the bench helps no one.
Barring an injury, which All Elite Wrestling tends to keep under wraps, this is a drastic misuse of talent Khan. It can be rightfully argued that everyone can't be on TV all of the time, but Friday nights have been a waterless and hopeless desert of wrestling matches for months now. What does AEW have to lose by building out some stories for underutilized wrestlers like Miro on Rampage? If Miro shares Lana's feelings, then the odds seem good that he's willing to be patient. Especially if he does not want to play the same heel role he was forced to portray while in WWE. Regardless, AEW has few wrestlers built like Miro, and he could fill a genuine hole on weekly television if appropriately used. It'd be awkward to re-debut him as they did back in June, but Khan could still get him involved in a fringe program ahead of Full Gear on November 19.
Sources: Busted Open Radio, WrestlingNews.co