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Just six years into AEW's inception, it has already become a major promotion in the world of professional wrestling. The Jacksonville-based company is only behind rival WWE in terms of stature. One of the main reasons for the success of Tony Khan's promotion is its commitment to pushing the boundaries in the ring, building original stars, and allowing their talents to perform globally.
AEW hasn't been around for too long, so naturally, some of its marquee talents have come from WWE. However, the Jacksonville-based company does boast of stars who rose through the independent circuit before joining the Tony Khan-led promotion and becoming household names. Interestingly, some of All Elite Wrestling's past World Champions have never even wrestled in the sports entertainment juggernaut.
With that said, let's examine three former AEW World Champions who have never fought in WWE:
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#3. AEW star Hangman Page never wrestled in WWE
'Hangman' Adam Page is an AEW Original, but before that, he made his name in Ring of Honor and NJPW. However, WWE never became a career path for Hangman.
Page became the company's fourth World Champion and defeated Kenny Omega at Full Gear in 2021 to do so. Since then, he has built up a strong fan following and become one of the most valuable stars in the promotion.
As of today, Hangman is still a mainstay in the company's main-event scene and is set to challenge Jon Moxley for the World Championship at the upcoming All In: Texas pay-per-view event in July.
#2. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega is one of the biggest stars in AEW, and he is also an EVP of the company. The Best Bout Machine is also one of the most renowned and popular wrestlers to have never wrestled on WWE's main roster, although he did have a brief stint in Deep South Wrestling.
Omega recently addressed why he didn't continue with WWE, and quickly grew into a bona fide star in All Elite Wrestling after playing a key role in the company's foundation. He became the promotion's World Champion in 2020, after defeating Jon Moxley at Dynamite: Winter is Coming, and held the title for over 300 days. Before his time in the Tony Khan-led promotion, the Best Bout Machine made his name in NJPW.
Currently, Omega is the International Champion and is set to take on Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada in a belt-unification match at All In: Texas.
#1. MJF
Whether it's in the ring or on the microphone, it is hard to look past Maxwell Jacob Friedman when it comes to pure ability. A generational talent, The Salt of the Earth made his name in Major League Wrestling and Combat Zone Wrestling before joining Tony Khan's promotion in January 2019.
Three years ago, MJF mentioned WWE in his infamous pipebomb promo. While there were also speculations last year about him possibly joining the Stamford-based promotion, The Salt of the Earth has never set foot in World Wrestling Entertainment, and his mainstream wrestling career has been with All Elite Wrestling. MJF won the ultimate prize in 2022 and is AEW's longest-reigning World Champion at 406 days.
Currently, The Salt of the Earth is allied with The Hurt Syndicate and is set to take on Mistico at the company's Grand Slam Mexico event at Arena Mexico next week.
Mick Foley to retire in AEW? More details HERE!
