John Morrison recently opened up about his current position in All Elite Wrestling, admitting that he feels underutilized compared to what he believes he can contribute.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Morrison explained that the size of AEW’s roster and limited television time make it difficult for every performer to be prominently featured.
“For me, right now in AEW, I feel underutilized,” Morrison said. “And I can’t blame anyone. It’s just how wrestling promotions work. There’s only enough TV time for a certain amount of people.”
Morrison revealed that within the locker room, some wrestlers jokingly refer to the group of consistently featured talent as “the island.” According to him, the phrase describes the core performers who receive the majority of television focus. “Those people at AEW, we’ve coined the term ‘the island.’ Those people are on the island, so to speak,” Morrison explained. “And I don’t feel like I’m on the island with Tony or AEW right now.”
Because he isn’t among the most featured talents, Morrison believes he is only showcasing a fraction of his full abilities. “I feel like I’m doing 10–20% of what I’m capable of, storytelling-wise and wrestling-wise in the ring.”
Interestingly, Morrison noted that his experience working in Mexico with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre — through AEW’s partnership — has been very different. In that environment, he felt he was presented more prominently and able to show a much broader range of his skills.
Despite his current television role, Morrison made it clear that his ambition has not changed. He said he still believes he can reach the very top of the industry again.
According to Morrison, he even keeps notebooks filled with match ideas and storyline concepts involving the AEW roster that have yet to be used.
Ultimately, he stated that he still sees himself as a potential world champion in either AEW or WWE if given the opportunity.
