Marko Stunt Believes WWE Star Power Is 'Like A Drug' To AEW
With big money names flooding into AEW, Marko Stunt is worried that the company has stars in its eyes.
"I think that there was a point where they got a taste of what that star power could do," Marko told Steve Fall on NBC Sports Boston's "Ten Count" show, "and it's kind of like a drug I guess, in a way. You get a little bit and you're like, 'Ooh, that was fun, that felt good, that was nice. Let's get a little more in here.'"
Stunt feels like this could start "waterfalling" on the company, as they keep bringing in more and more talent. "And you're just like, 'Oh, this guy isn't there anymore, let's bring him in!' That's kind of where it got to."
Stunt says that AEW's hunger for former WWE Superstars wasn't as voracious when he was being "weaned out" of the company, but that it's grown much more in that direction since he left. Stunt's contract ran out in May but he had been off of TV and reportedly "ghosted" by the company in the months leading up to his contract's expiration.
"I've noticed that more since I was with AEW," Stunt said when asked about casual fans' relationships with AEW. "The casual fan is not watching it for the same reasons that I would watch it or maybe you would watch it," going to say that the CM Punks or the Christian Cages of the world simply have more pull on the casual fan than a Kenny Omega or a Marko Stunt ever would.
Stunt was asked about how it feels to see so many former WWE Superstars coming into the company with decent compensation when Stunt's contract was not renewed, seemingly for budgetary reasons, and suggested that the money paying Claudio Castagnoli or Keith Lee came from the money that Stunt was making.
"That's definitely stuff that runs through your head," Stunt answered, "Ultimately, I generally try not to get too upset about that type of stuff. Like, I try not to. There's definitely days where I'm like, 'What the hell is going on?'
"... I don't really have any desire to work there right now," Stunt said, quick to note that he was trying to be careful with his wording. "That's not me saying I don't want to work for them ever but, right now, its kind of fresh still."