Jeff Hardy and 4 potential challengers for new AEW World Champion Jon Moxley

Jon Moxley is now the first ever 3-time AEW World Champion after defeating Bryan Danielson in the main event of Dynamite: Grand Slam. The Blackpool Combat Club founders put on a thrilling contest that showcased both men's abilities to the fullest.

A large portion of fans thought it would finally be The American Dragon's moment to become world champion in AEW, but it was not meant to be. Instead, The Purveyor of Violence withstood immense punishment and finally secured the victory with a Sleeper Hold.

Now that Moxley is finally on top of the mountain once again, who is next in line to challenge for the title? Here we look at five potential challengers who could feasibly defeat the newly-crowned AEW World Champion.

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#5. Jon Moxley vs. MJF

MJF earned a future title shot after winning the Casino Ladder Match at All Out. The question now is not if but when The Salt of the Earth will cash in on his poker chip opportunity.

During the main event of Dynamite: Grand Slam, MJF was on hand to witness the world title match between Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. It would have been the perfect moment if Friedman had decided to utilize his clause there and then but instead, he chose to hold off on that chance.

During a recent appearance on Barstool Rasslin', AEW owner Tony Khan revealed details about how Friedman could cash in on the opportunity:

"Any sanctioned event we can certainly make it happen. In this day and age, it's a world that's with live television and pay-per-view events, and all [of these other] opportunities, it's exciting to have a contender out there looming and to have this big championship match tonight on Dynamite," Khan said.

Perhaps MJF would like to save the cash-in for a blockbuster title match on pay-per-view against Jon Moxley. With Full Gear 2022 almost two months away, there is still plenty of time to build up the feud until it becomes red-hot.

The 26-year-old is currently the most talked-about talent on the AEW roster; therefore, Khan should consider striking while the iron is hot and pull the trigger on an MJF championship run. As the ratings have shown on Dynamite over the last couple of weeks, The Salt of the Earth is a proven draw for the company.

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#4. Jon Moxley vs. Bryan Danielson

With CM Punk being forced to give up the AEW World Championship following the backstage brawl, a Tournament of Champions was announced in the lead-up to Dynamite: Grand Slam. When Bryan Danielson was revealed to be one of the participants, he felt like an early favorite to win the whole thing.

However, it was not meant to be, as he was ultimately ousted by his fellow Blackpool Combat Club brother Jon Moxley. Even though Moxley winning the title makes sense, given the incoming feud with MJF, it was a wasted opportunity not to put the belt on Danielson.

The former WWE Champion is one of the company's top stars but has felt largely underutilized since his return from injury. He put over Daniel Garcia and traded victories with Chris Jericho, but there's an argument that The American Dragon should be booked to win in more significant rivalries.

He could even turn heel on Moxley in his quest for a rematch, splitting the faction up in the process. Danielson has proven that he can be an effective heel, judging by his program with Hangman Page last year. A heel Bryan as world champion would be entertaining, to say the least.

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#3. Jon Moxley vs. Hangman Adam Page

Warning: Spoilers ahead. During the Rampage taping, a Golden Ticket Battle Royal took place, where the winner would earn themselves a future AEW World Championship match at a later date.

The Wrestling Observer reported that Hangman Page won the bout after last eliminating Rush to earn a guaranteed world title shot. This was certainly a controversial choice, seeing as how Page seemingly had a major part to play in the CM Punk-Elite drama.

The Anxious Millennial Cowboy was the AEW World Champion for nearly half a year after winning the title at Full Gear 2021. He had great matches with the likes of Danielson and Adam Cole before dropping the title to CM Punk at Double or Nothing earlier this year.

However, Page cut a shoot promo on The Straightedge Superstar in the lead-up to the match. He was also quoted in an interview as saying that he does not go to veterans in AEW for advice, which angered Punk. It can be argued that his blase attitude was what ignited the drama between Punk and the rest of The Elite.

It might be weird to reward Page with a world title shot against Jon Moxley, given what has gone down. But taking that out of the equation, he is a former world champion and one of the company's top homegrown stars. He would undoubtedly pose a threat to Jon Moxley's reign as the younger, more athletic wrestler.

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#2. Jon Moxley vs. Chris Jericho

The AEW Grand Slam event kicked off with a massive title change, as Chris Jericho became the new ROH World Champion after dethroning Claudio Castagnoli. This adds another world title to The Wizard's impressive collection of accolades.

The 51-year-old has starred in every promotion he's been a part of, from ECW, WCW, WWE to AEW. Despite his 30-year career, Jericho has never wrestled in Ring of Honor. However, Tony Khan acquired the promotion earlier this year and started introducing their belts to AEW programming.

This marked the eighth world title that Jericho has won to date, spanning WWE, AEW, and now ROH. The ROH World Championship gains more credibility, with Jericho winning it for sure.

The win would give Le Champion the confidence to set his sights on winning the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley once again and becoming a double world champion. He's done it before in WWE when he became the Undisputed WWE World Champion after defeating The Rock and Stone Cold on the same night.

Jericho's ego would definitely not be able to resist the allure of creating more history in AEW. As a veteran and main event draw in the company, he has the star power to pull it off.

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#1. Jon Moxley vs. Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy has not had the best of starts in AEW. Hardy was arrested in June 2022 for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was subsequently suspended from the company with the condition that he could only return to the ring if he underwent substance abuse treatment and maintained sobriety.

Hardy has since gone on an extended hiatus, but there is now an update regarding Jeff Hardy's potential return to AEW programming. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter went on to elaborate:

"Jeff Hardy is expected to be out of rehab soon and back in the ring." (H/T WrestleTalk)

Matt Hardy also addressed the situation on his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast:

"We’re getting close to the point where we meet the new Jeff and we figure out his future and what he ends up doing. I’m pretty excited because I feel like his mentality is like — he knows he has to make some changes and do what’s right. I feel like he’s at a point where he will this time around. I’m excited to have him back and I think this would be amazing. It’d be so much fun.” (H/T WrestleTalk)

The former WWE star's comeback seems imminent now. AEW owner Tony Khan could insert Jeff Hardy into the world title picture and line him up against new world champion Jon Moxley.

It might be a left-field move, given Hardy's unreliable history. But don't forget, The Charismatic Enigma is a former multi-time world champion in WWE. Hardy's connection with the wrestling audience remains strong despite his struggles.

The fact that Jon Moxley is a 3-time AEW World Champion proves that Khan is willing to give second chances to his top stars, so perhaps Jeff does have the potential to experience his very own redemption story in AEW.