K.J. Orso is speaking out about his time in AEW, revealing that he felt overlooked and underutilized by the company.
After shedding his Fuego Del Sol mask at GCW and Joey Janelas Spring Break 9, Orso opened up on Busted Open Radio about the lack of direction he experienced under Tony Khans leadership.
I dont think Tony Khan ever had any true plans for me, Orso said. I think the fanfare and the respect I earned from the locker room almost forced his hand to signing me.
Despite being signed, Orso felt like an afterthought, only used when other top stars like Sammy Guevara or Cody Rhodes wanted to work with him.
I am an outside puzzle piece that he just fits in when he wants. You could do some stuff with Sammy. Cody Rhodes really likes you. When Cody wants stuff with you, well do stuff with you and Cody. But there was no real plan for me ever, Orso revealed.
During his AEW tenure, Orso pitched multiple ideas to reinvent himself and shake off the lovable loser label he felt stuck with. Among them were tag team proposals with Lance Archer and Sammy Guevara, as well as a potential excursion to DDT Pro-Wrestling in Japan.
I pitched going to Japan for DDT just to freshen up my scenery and do something different, and then I pitched taking this mask off and doing something different, Orso said.
But none of those pitches were approved, leaving Orso feeling like he was constantly hitting a wall. I really do feel that I had become a lovable loser in a sense, and theres a stench Ive been dying to get rid of since leaving AEW, Orso admitted.
Now, under his real name, K.J. Orso is determined to prove himself as more than just a filler talent, hoping to showcase the side of himself that AEW never fully embraced.
Do you think Tony Khan missed out on using K.J. Orso to his full potential? Could Orsos transformation be the career reset he needs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
