Why Bully Ray Calls This AEW Star 'One Of The Most Wasted Talents' In The Business

Criticism against AEW for how the promotion continues to use its roster isn't a foreign concept, and when it comes to Lance Archer, there are some who are left stumped by how he's booked. Pro wrestling veteran Bully Ray is one of them, and in an episode of "Busted Open Radio," he explained exactly how he sees Archer being misused.

"I'm a big fan of Don Callis. I like what he's doing with the Callis Family ... but I think the group is becoming a little too big. It's starting to feel NWO-ish," he expressed. "I just think that Lance Archer is one of the most wasted talents that I've seen go through those doors. He's got the 'it' factor; he had the look." 

Bully further opined that Archer passes the wrestling 'airport test,' meaning he's recognized when he walks into an airport, and noted how Archer, with an AEW t-shirt on, would bring eyes to the promotion.

"In the ring, I've always found him very, very good. I don't think he's as good today as he was five years ago, because he doesn't get to wrestle anymore!" Bully added, before opining that, during Archer's more active days in AEW, his matches were consistently entertaining. "I thought him – as a man, as a character, everything – credible. That's a guy that even 'til today, I would put him on a slab, hook up the paddles to his heart, I would try to revitalize him! I would try to bring him back to life!" 

Lance Archer's career has taken him through WWE, TNA, and Japan, and the "Murderhawk Monster" has claimed that he's always evolved with the times. Whether or not Bully Ray knows how he feels, the veteran still wished things would have been different for Archer this time around. "I thought that there'd be real hope for him. And I guess, at the beginning, there was, but you know every time we have him on the show, it's the same old song and dance," the veteran pointed out.

However, Bully doesn't believe the blame lies on Archer, despite knowing that the he tries to remain positive. "Then every once in a while, they throw him in a match, he does a good job, and gets put on the backburner again," he expressed, before noting how bigger athletes don't seem to make it in AEW despite the appeal they have.

"You perform for an audience of one in AEW as much as you performed for an audience of one in WWE; that was the whole thing with Vince McMahon," Bully interesting noted. "Same thing with Tony. If Tony can't sit there at 'Gorilla' and tweet, 'Justified This Is Awesome chants,' he's not as invested in you. This is not me talking negatively, this is just fact!"

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.