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AEW will present their annual pay-per-view showpiece Double or Nothing, live from Las Vegas for the first time since 2019. The show will be headlined by CM Punk and Hangman Page for the AEW World Championship. Other marquee matches include MJF vs. Wardlow and the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament finals.
While the card promises to be a star-studded affair, could AEW owner Tony Khan have a few aces up his sleeve?
Several free agents in the wrestling market are former WWE Superstars with recognizable name value. Double or Nothing would be the perfect time for these wrestlers to make their AEW debut.
Here are five former WWE Superstars who could feasibly show up in Las Vegas this weekend.
#5. AEW Double or Nothing surprise debut - Former Universal Champion Braun Strowman
When Braun Strowman was released from WWE in June 2021, it was a legitimate shock. He has been a mainstay for the company over the last couple of years, even winning the Universal Championship in 2020.
He is slated for a blockbuster match against former UFC star Alistair Overeem on June 4 for the Wrestling Entertainment Series. Overeem is best known for knocking out Brock Lesnar and will be making his pro wrestling debut at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, England.
But could the real-life Adam Scherr make a pit stop at AEW Double or Nothing before that? He is a big-time talent and one of the most athletic big men in the industry right now. He could easily feature in the AEW World Title picture and could be pitted in some classic feuds.
#4. Former WWE Champion Bray Wyatt could come to AEW
If Braun Strowman's release was a surprise, Bray Wyatt's firing was even more of a shock. He was a three-time world champion during his twelve-year run with the company but has not signed with another promotion since being released by WWE last year.
Wyatt is one of the best creative minds in the wrestling business and would be an asset to any company. AEW President Tony Khan said last year that although he knows the wrestler personally, he hadn't discussed him joining the company yet.
Khan, however, didn't rule out the former WWE Champion joining AEW.
"He’s a great wrestler, and I have to be honest, we haven’t talked at all. I’ve known him in personal life, but in reality, we haven’t talked. But you never know," said Khan.
Wrestling legend Jim Cornette has expressed his doubts on Wyatt's Fiend gimmick working in All Elite Wrestling. While speaking on Jim Cornette's Drive Thru, he said:
"Maybe the guy Bray Wyatt, they'd love him. They can't do The Fiend. The fans wouldn't like it and they don't have the budget. They ain't going to pay Bray Wyatt millions of dollars to try something from scratch. So, he's in a little bit of a pickle."
Windham Rotunda's salary demands, which recent reports have stated are "very high," could prove to be a possible stumbling block. However, it would genuinely be the biggest wrestling news story of the year if he were to appear at Double or Nothing.
#3. Former NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon would be a huge surprise
Former NXT Women's Champion Ember Moon (now known as Athena) is one of the biggest female free agents on the market right now.
Fightful Select recently reported that Tony Khan and Moon have held "light talks," but whether both parties have reached a potential agreement in time for Double or Nothing is unknown.
The reigning AEW Women's World Champion Thunder Rosa has voiced her desire to square off against Athena.
In an interview with the Battleground podcast, La Mera Mera had this to say about the War Goddess:
"[I want to defend against] Athena. We had a 30-minute match on the independent scene to defend the Warrior Wrestling Championship when I was champion there. We went at it. It was really fun.” [23.29 - 23.50]
Athena would instantly be a contender for championship gold in AEW, whether it is Rosa's or Jade Cargill's TBS Championship, which she teased coming after. Given her star power, the 33-year-old could add depth to the company's female roster.
#2. Former WWE United States Champion Cesaro would be a huge addition to the AEW roster
Cesaro was one of the most underutilized stars on the roster when he was with WWE. Despite being in the company for nearly a decade, the Swiss Superman failed to win the world championship and was an upper mid-card act at best.
It's no secret that Tony Khan is a big fan of the former United States Champion. He asserted during a media call that he was open to working with Cesaro in the future.
"He [Cesaro] has very few peers in the power department and also mentally he puts great matches together, he's got great psychology and just a great guy. So yeah I mean it's always something I would be open to," Khan said.
If he joins All Elite Wrestling, Cesaro will not be short of opponents chomping at the bit to face him. Eddie Kingston and Cesaro had a heated rivalry in promotions such as Chikara, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Combat Wrestling Zone, and Ring of Honor. When Cesaro left WWE in February, Kingston chimed in on social media by saying:
"All I am going to say is, he doesn't have the b**ls to come to AEW."
Speaking on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast, Kingston would go on to explain his hatred for the former WWE Superstar, stating that he has a lot of unfinished business stemming from their time in multiple independent promotions and would like to settle the score with him eventually.
Their real-life animosity could make for captivating television, especially if Cesaro were to appear in Double or Nothing and cost Kingston's team a victory in their match against the Jericho Appreciation Society.
#1. Former NXT Champion Johnny Gargano is a hot property in the world of pro wrestling
When it comes to who is the hottest free agent available in professional wrestling, Johnny Gargano should be at the top of that list. The former NXT Champion chose not to re-sign with the company despite being synonymous with the developmental brand.
Gargano and real-life wife Candice LeRae welcomed a newborn baby while away from wrestling, and he has been busy being a father ever since. Johnny Wrestling has revealed the age he would like to retire at in a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet.
"There is a big part of me that says I only want to wrestle until I’m 40 and that’s only six years away at this point. So, I feel like I have about five years left to maximize whatever I want to do in this,” Gargano said. [H/T Wrestling Observer]
With a limited number of years left before his proposed retirement, this could be the perfect time for Gargano to explore the wider wrestling world and perhaps make All Elite Wrestling his next home.
