10 Times AEW Went Too Far

AEW has done a lot right as a company throughout its short existence, becoming a genuine competition to WWE, and providing some fantastic moments for wrestling fans around the world. The in-ring quality has always been clear with the company, and for the most part, the storylines have been enjoyable to see as well.

However, as is the case with any wrestling promotion not everything has been perfect, and there have certainly been some teething problems along the way. There are times when AEW has gone too far, whether that be with controversial storylines, safety of the wrestlers, or issues online that the company would likely wish hadn't happened.

10 Taking Shots At CM Punk

The infamous All Out 2022 press conference is one of the lowest moments in AEW's history, with CM Punk publicly blasting the company as he ended up fighting The Elite backstage after. When Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks made their return to the ring they decided to mock him and the situation.

Omega bit PAC which was a nod to Ace Steel doing that in the fight, while he also hit the GTS toward the end of the match. On top of that, Matt Jackson botched the Buckshot Lariat just as Punk did, but a lot of people felt that all of this was going too far.

9 A Chairman Makes A Mark

Chair shots in wrestling have always brought with them a genuine sense of danger due to the nature of them, and that is why doing it to the head is something that doesn't happen much anymore. However, at Fyter Fest in 2019 AEW decided to allow it as Shawn Spears made his mark by smashing a chair over the head of Cody Rhodes.

While the weapon was gimmicked to the point where it shouldn't have hurt, that wasn't what happened in reality. Spears caught Rhodes wrong and he ended up being injured, bleeding heavily. It was a risk that simply didn't need to be taken, and was a case of the company going overboard.

8 Tony Khan Criticizes Big Swole

Wrestlers acting unprofessional on social media is something that people have come to expect from the business, but when it comes to those in a position of power fans tend to have different expectations. However, this is an area where Tony Khan has struggled at times, often going overboard with the things he has said.

This was never clearer than when Big Swole was let go from the company. She made several comments about AEW's representation of black wrestlers, but rather than keeping his thoughts private Khan decided to blast her by saying he didn't think she was good enough in the ring, which is all good and well but should have been kept to himself.

7 The Breaker Of Thrones

Competition is always a good thing for wrestling, and there is no doubt that having AEW around is better for the business overall. Tony Khan's company has enjoyed taking shots at WWE over the years, and while some of them have been funny others have felt rather desperate and over the top.

One of the most obvious examples was Cody Rhodes' throne-breaking entrance. It was a case of AEW going overboard and making things far too on the nose, as acts like that only serve to divide wrestling fans and make people look bad, which wrestling shouldn't be about.

6 Pizza Cutter Attacks

There have been many times when AEW has been criticized for its reliance on blood and gore, with a lot of fans believing the company taps into violence a little too much. That was never clearer than when Chris Jericho faced Nick Gage in a death match on AEW Dynamite.

The match went to the extremes, which included Gage using a pizza cutter to the head of his opponent. It caused issues for AEW with sponsors, and it was something that most fans felt was over the top an episode of television.

5 Sandbagging Issue

Issues between Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa seem to have emerged over time in AEW, which seems to be heavy due to what has happened inside the ring between them. One of those saw Baker claim that Rosa had sandbagged her, meaning she did make the effort to make a move look good and tried to make her look bad.

However, then AEW began tapping into this on television which was an example of the company going too far. It not only highlighted the idea that wrestling is fake, but it also brought backstage drama into the ring, which didn't work.

4 MJF Calls Out Tony Khan

Pipebomb-style promos can be great when wrestlers air their issues for everyone to see, and that is something that many people have done over the years. MJF got the chance to do that before going on his break before his recent return, but he went to the extremes in the promo to the point where it may have been too far.

The main issue is that it makes the company itself look terrible, seeing one of the top stars demanding to be fired and name-dropping WWE and names like Nick Khan is not always a great look for a new company.

3 Christian Cage Doesn't Want To Be Jungle Boy's Father

Anytime a promo brings up a real-life death it can be seen as going too far because a lot of people are uncomfortable with situations like that being put into a wrestling product. That is why some felt that Christian Cage's turn on Jungle Boy was an issue, as his promos ended up being controversial.

The wrestling veteran would claim that Jungle Boy was looking at him to be a father figure because he had passed away, as he went on to take shots at him and the situation. It certainly got heat, but there's no doubt it was something people found to be too much.

2 Allowing Matt Hardy To Keep Wrestling

Health and safety are paramount for any wrestling company, as people are putting their lives on the line for them every week. For the most part, AEW has dealt with injuries and other issues well, but the match between Matt Hardy and Sammy Guevara at All Out in 2020 was an example of the company failing.

Hardy appeared to be legitimately knocked out after a spot went wrong with him being speared off a scissor lift. Rather than landing through a table, his head hit the concrete, but despite being visibly out of it he was allowed to continue wrestling, which led to very uncomfortable viewing.

1 CM Punk Calls Out Hangman Page

CM Punk had many grievances during his AEW run in terms of how certain people behaved, but going into business for yourself in wrestling is always an example of people going too far. That was clear when CM Punk randomly decided to call out Hangman Adam Page in the middle of the ring.

None of this was planned, so obviously Page was never going to be able to answer the call, and that made him look terrible. It was unprofessional and is the type of situation that desperately needs to be avoided, especially for a brand-new company.