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AEW has hit the scene running over the past two years, and whether you like them or not, it's safe to say that the depth and excitement surrounding professional wrestling hasn't been this good in two decades. There are still plenty of criticisms to be sent towards Tony Khan's brand new promotion. But for the most part, it feels like they are trying to present a wrestling promotion for the fans, and it seems that they've been successful in every possible way to this point.
The focus of All Elite Wrestling has obviously been the coveted gold in the form of the AEW World Championship, and to this point, there have only been two Champions; 'Le Champion' Chris Jericho, and the current reigning, defending Champion, Jon Moxley. It seems like AEW are doing it the right way, in making their top Championship the most important and coveted thing in the world, and it doesn't look like they will be hot-shotting the belt anytime soon, so winning this honor will likely be reserved for only a select few.
While the roster will undoubtedly change and develop over time, with the way it sits now, we can somewhat accurately try and depict the future. So the following 10 AEW stars are ones that will be at the top of the All Elite Wrestling mountain over the next few years.
#10 Sammy Guevara could become AEW World Champion
When it was announced that Sammy Guevara would compete in the first-ever Dynamite match, few people outside of hardcore fans knew who he was, but by the end of the night, it became abundantly clear that AEW had huge plans in store for the young star. He was partnered with Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, and Proud & Powerful, forming the Inner Circle. From that point onwards, The Spanish God has nailed it every single time he's been on television (a certain match with Matt Hardy aside, of course).
He's not the biggest performer, but given his charisma, talent, and athleticism, it's only a matter of time until The Inner Circle implodes, and it's evident that Sammy will be the breakout star of the group. While it may be a while until they begin building him to face Mox (or perhaps someone on this list who takes the title from him), but when it does, if AEW want Sammy to be a babyface, he'll be The Best Ever.
#9 PAC could become AEW World Champion
Many people were quite annoyed with the way WWE treated PAC, especially given how his career took off when he joined the cruiserweight division, and since leaving, he's proved that company wrong. Travel limitations during the current pandemic have halted his momentum. When PAC joined Fenix and Pentagon Jr. to form the Death Triangle, it looked like AEW had plans for the former Neville.
With the look, the attitude, and clearly one of the best physiques in the game, The Bastard has everything you could want in a top star. It will, however, take some rebuilding to get him to the top after losing feuds with the likes of Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley. When PAC is allowed to return to America, expect him to get a big push immediately, and if AEW can do it properly, PAC has the potential to be the man to dethrone Jon Moxley at the top of the mountain.
#8 Darby Allin could become AEW World Champion
Darby Allin was a true unknown to most casual wrestling fans when AEW Dynamite began, even after his thrilling 20-minute time limit draw with Cody. Since then, he's done nothing but improve his stock since the flagship TNT program began. With his relentless, risk-taking style, Allin has been compared to the likes of Jeff Hardy and Sting. His popularity is rising by the week and it is clear that Darby will become a star for AEW over the next decade on his own merit.
He's currently embroiled in a feud with Team Taz, and he's also come up short in a World Championship match before, so it's not going to happen soon. But AEW are slowly but surely building Darby as the underdog hero he is. Allin is never going to become the face of AEW or the true top star, but considering his connection with the fans, his character work, and ability, he will undoubtedly have a run at the top one day, and we can't wait to see it happen.
#7 Jungle Boy could become AEW World Champion
Over the past year, AEW have done an excellent job at bringing in plenty of stars to make Dynamite must-see, but they have also stockpiled some stars of the future, and the one undeniable one is Jungle Boy. Son of late actor Luke Perry, Jungle Boy has clearly been earmarked as a star in AEW from the very first day. With big matches against the likes of Chris Jericho and MJF over the past ten months, he has only made his future brighter and brighter.
He may be small, but Jungle Boy, along with Luchasarus, have become two of the most popular performers in AEW, with their sheer athleticism and charisma. It's clear that it's a matter of when, not if, that Jungle Boy becomes AEW World Champion. We can't see it happening in the next year or two, but one day, Perry will become the Champion we've all seen he can become, and it's safe to say that at that point, AEW will be in the right hands for years to come.
#6 Brian Cage could become AEW World Champion
When Brian Cage made his AEW debut, to quote the great JR, it was clear that business had just picked up. With Taz by his side, it's just a matter of time until The Machine is on top in AEW. He has an incredible look that would make him a champion in any era. With some insane athleticism to back it up, he could be one of the key pieces that this company needs over the next few years to truly solidify itself in the wrestling world.
Cage has been a star in whichever company he has wrestled in, picking up several World Championships along the way. Even though he came up short against Jon Moxley following his Ladder Match victory, it won't be his last shot at Championship glory. Some fans may look at Cage and see yet another bodybuilder, but he has the athleticism and the charisma to back it up. Whether you like it or not, Cage can be the most dominant performer in the world, so don't be shocked to see him capture gold within the next 6-12 months.
#5 Lance Archer could become AEW World Champion
Before testing positive for COVID-19, Lance Archer was set to be the next challenger for Jon Moxley's AEW World Championship, thanks to his win in the Casino Battle Royale at All Out. Not many fans expected the Muderhawk Monster to come out on top, even with Jake 'The Snake' by his side. Either way, one day, Archer will have the big gold around his waist.
Lance Archer is a veteran within the wrestling business, and since coming to AEW, he has clearly found his role as a big, dominant monster with a unique look. It is going to be tough to keep him away from the title for much longer. Monsters in wrestling these days certainly aren't presented as well as they used to be, but AEW has done a fantastic job of giving Archer a true aura. Whether it's Jon Moxley or someone else, one day, Lance Archer will undoubtedly reign supreme over the entire company.
#4 Miro could become AEW World Champion
This one might be quite an early call, given that Miro, the former Rusev, is only 1-0 in his AEW career. But given how popular he became during his run with WWE, it's safe to say that AEW are in the right position to capitalize on that. Miro has the size, the look and the athleticism to be a World Champion in any promotion in any era, and if he gets to show more of the personality we've come to see and love on YouTube and Twitch, he will be a top contender in no time.
Even with limited fans in attendance for his debut, the crowd went insane when Miro debuted on AEW Dynamite. While his in-ring debut didn't quite go according to plan, there are big plans for The Best Man. We don't know whether this partnership with Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford is a long term plan for Miro in AEW, but no matter the circumstances, it's hard to imagine that the Bulgarian superstar will be held away from the World Championship picture in two different companies.
#3 MJF could become AEW World Champion
For years now, many people in wrestling have known about the potential of Maxwell Jacob Friedman, especially since his appearance at All In, but during his time with AEW, he has continually taken it to the next level night after night. He is untouchable with a microphone in his hand, and while there are other performers better inside the ring, MJF is good enough to be a top star in wrestling for decades to come, and that's what AEW are certainly counting on.
His World Title match at All Out was fantastic, and while he came up short against the champ Moxley, he proved without a shadow of a doubt that he already belongs, despite still being in his early 20s. It's highly unlikely that he gets another pay-per-view shot in the near future, as his current story looks to be the breakup with Wardlow. But whenever he gets another shot, it wouldn't surprise anyone if he were to come out with his hand raised in victory.
#2 'Hangman' Adam Page could become AEW World Champion
Hangman Page was set up as a big-time contender early on, even battling Chris Jericho for the chance to become the first-ever AEW Champion, but many feel he was put into that spot way too early. Since that point, however, Page has really found his groove, and he's quickly become one of, if not the most popular performer in the company, and it seems AEW management is setting him up to become their own version of DDP in WCW.
With all of his friends deserting him and the crowds still supporting him big time, Page is set up to be the breakout babyface star that AEW really needs to take them mainstream, and it looks like they've begun his rise. No doubt his recent tag team partner Kenny Omega will beat him to the top of the mountain, but as fan support builds momentum for the Hangman, it's safe to say that it won't be long until he and Kenny are on opposite sides of the ring, with gold dividing them, rather than uniting them.
#1 Kenny Omega could become AEW World Champion
Ever since the birth of AEW, fans and wrestling people alike earmarked The Cleaner as AEW's biggest star. But to bring in new faces and elevate them, Kenny Omega has unfortunately taken a backseat throughout the first year of Dynamite. Now that he has broken away from Hangman Page, it looks like a more edgy Kenny Omega is ready to finally fulfill all the lofty expectations many people had for him when he had just moved to AEW.
While he's not been on the type of run he had in New Japan over his last year there, Kenny has still had some incredible matches. Now that he's solely turned his attention to singles gold in AEW, we may see the intensity and frequency of amazing bouts improve. If you've never seen Kenny in New Japan before, get ready for him to explode in late 2020/early 2021, as it's only a matter of time until he dethrones the reigning Jon Moxley.
