AEW’s Decision To Use Fired NXT Talent Called Into Question

Cole Karter was recently killed off on WWE NXT. He was portraying Troy “Two Dimes” Donovan, an associate of gang boss Tony D’Angelo. D’Angelo infamously implied that he threw Two Dimes over a bridge to write him off the show after he was fired for failing a drug test.

Karter did appear on a recent episode of AEW’s YouTube show, Dark: Elevation. It’s not uncommon for Tony Khan to use wrestlers who aren’t signed on the show. Many fans were surprised when he showed up for a high-profile match on Dynamite.

On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer questioned the decision to feature Cole Karter. After his recent firing from WWE, he believes it is a bad look to immediately snatch up a talent that just failed a drug test. That is exacerbated by the fact that most of the AEW audience does not know who he is because they don’t watch NXT.

“I mean, I knew he was on Dark, or Dark Elevation last week. So, I knew that they used him… I know he’s just a guy to lose the match and everything like that but, you know, and the people didn’t… Somehow it turned Ricky Starks babyface, too, which was another thing…

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I think that it’s just, you know… I don’t think that AEW fans want NXT guys on unless it’s someone who’s like really good. Like, if it’s Roderick Strong, you know, I think a lot of people will not like Roderick Strong even coming in, but he’s so damn good that it’s kind of like, you probably want to make room for him. And again, with Cole Karter, at some point, maybe. I mean I do think that the guy has potential and everything, but so soon after failing a drug test and being fired, it’s bad optics to me.”

It will be interesting to see if Cole Karter has a future with AEW. The fans did not react well to his appearance. They got a cute joke out of it for Shark Week, but it does not appear that AEW fans are too interested in NXT wrestlers appearing on Dynamite.

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Transcription by Ringside News