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AEW is neck-deep in controversy thanks to the ongoing fallout from the post-All Out media scrum and subsequent backstage brawl. The likes of Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, and Ace Steel were all suspended as a result of the fracas.
Christopher Daniels, Pat Buck, Michael Nakazawa and Brandon Cutler were also reprimanded, but it seems like some of their suspensions have been lifted since it came to light that they were trying to break up the brawl.
The news came from wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio:
"Christopher Daniels, Pat Buck, Brandon Cutler, and Michael Nakazawa are off suspension because the investigation showed that they were only trying to break up the fight. I think the only person who was actually back at TV was Pat Buck." (H/T WrestleTalk)
The current status of CM Punk and The Elite, however, is still up in the air after AEW President Tony Khan stripped the wrestlers off the AEW World Championship and AEW Trios Championship respectively.
Now with four of the promotion's biggest stars unavailable at the moment, who else can step up? Here are 5 AEW wrestlers who can hold the fort in the meantime.
#5. Adam Cole
AEW star Adam Cole may have been away from AEW television recently, but he is due a return very soon. The Panama City Playboy last competed at Forbidden Door in a four-way match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship but suffered an injury during the course of the contest.
He would only make one other appearance afterwards when The Undisputed seemingly turned on Matt and Nick Jackson before All Out. However, Bobby Fish has since left the company while Kyle O'Reilly is still recuperating from a neck injury.
If Cole were to return to the company soon, he would serve as the only active member of The Elite left in AEW programming. This could be an opportunity for the former NXT Champion to truly cement himself as a major player in the promotion.
Since joining AEW a year ago, Cole's run in the company has been mixed at best. He competed unsuccessfully for the World Championship and is yet to win any titles so far. Bay Bay will be motivated to prove his worth upon his return.
#4. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has been a steady presence in AEW since its inception in 2019. During the latest episode of Talk Is Jericho, the leader of the Jericho Appreciation Society took credit for the company's early success:
"The first three or four months in AEW was on Chris Jericho’s back completely. So it was, if we can make this work, suddenly there’s a whole different level of legendary status." (H/T: WrestlingNews.co)
The Wizard was the inaugural AEW World Champion and his name value definitely brought a lot of recognition to the burgeoning brand. Since dropping the title, Jericho has taken on more of a backseat role while still remaining involved in major storylines.
With the fallout from CM Punk's brawl with The Elite however, the veteran has stepped up backstage once again as a locker room leader. Be it in front of the camera or behind-the-scenes, Jericho's experience and wisdom will be pivotal in navigating the ship through turbulent waters. Tony Khan will definitely be able to count on the former WWE legend during this time.
#3. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is the kind of person who would usually stay out of unnecessary drama. Even when he was the subject of reality television cameras during the filming of Total Divas and Total Bellas, Bryan always came across as a sensible figure amidst chaos.
So it's no surprise that the Blackpool Combat Club member was typically calm when interviewed by Sports Illustrated regarding the backstage brawl:
“Tony made a statement last week on Dynamite. I hate to say, ‘Oh, this is what happened,’ when I wasn’t in the room. I tend to focus on what I can control and focus on the opportunities that present themselves whenever there is any type of disruption—whether it is something like this or even something, for example, like the pandemic."
It was also reported that The American Dragon was one of the senior wrestlers who spoke during an AEW talent meeting prior to last week's Dynamite. As one of the most tenured members of the locker room, Danielson would be able to command a lot of respect from the younger talents.
He is also a world-class technical wrestler and grew to become one of WWE's biggest stars of the last decade. Ironically, he rose to superstardom only after CM Punk left Vince McMahon's company.
Danielson could end up benefitting from The Straightedge Superstar's absence once again as he will be competing in the finals of the AEW Grand Slam Tournament to crown the new World Champion. He would be an excellent choice to represent the company as the champion in the meantime as a fuss-free, credible option.
#2. Former AEW Champion Jon Moxley
On the Dynamite show after All Out, Jon Moxley cut a heartfelt and passionate promo where he reminded fans of his love for pro wrestling and how it was time to become a legend in the industry.
He is already one of the promotion's top stars but could ascend to the level of top champion when he competes against fellow Blackpool Combat Club member Bryan Danielson for the vacant AEW World Championship.
During a recent episode of his Talk Is Jericho podcast, Chris Jericho commented that Mox is now a bigger name than at any time during his run as Dean Ambrose with WWE:
"You need a collection of guys who aren’t retreads or haven’t lived up to their full potential, and we had that with The Elite right out of the gate, and then bringing in Moxley right out of the bat for the first show that we had. That’s a guy who was not even close to living up to his full potential. You can see that now. Moxley now is so much better and bigger than he ever was as Dean Ambrose. So we had all three of those things, and also a passion and a desire, and there was a point to prove.” (H/T to WrestlingNews.co)
Jon Moxley definitely felt like an equal to CM Punk during their short feud and fans would have preferred to have the BCC leader retain the title if they knew what would transpired afterwards. Here's a chance for Mox to prove that he should be the face of AEW moving forward.
#1. MJF
MJF finally made his highly-anticipated return at All Out, winning the Casino Ladder Match for a future guaranteed world title shot. The Salt of the Earth was already on the road to becoming the company's top star before his extended hiatus and contract dispute with Tony Khan.
Now that he is back in the fold, it seems like he has worked out his issues with the owner and can now resume his status as a main event player. The CM Punk-Elite drama threatened to overshadow MJF's return, but the 26-year-old has managed to make fans forget about the situation whenever he is on their screens.
Despite his young age, MJF is already a generational talent and should be given the ball to run with as the face of the company. A world title victory should be in his near future. With his charisma and mic skills, he can even rival CM Punk in this department. Now that the Chicago star is gone, look to MJF to step up to the plate.
