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AEW currently possesses a host of former WWE Superstars, but not everyone has had a memorable career. Hall of Fame inductions are akin to a lifetime achievement award in the pro wrestling industry.
While some might question the validity of the Hall of Fame as there is no physical building and the wrestlers are chosen purely according to the WWE authorities, it is still an accolade that many stars aspire to achieve.
This year, WWE presented the Hall of Fame 2020 and 2021 back-to-back during the WrestleMania 37 weekend. Legends such as Kane, Rob Van Dam, NWO, Eric Bischoff, The Bella Twins, John Bradshaw Layfield, the British Bulldog, the Great Khali, and Jushin "Thunder" Liger were honored, to name a few.
Even though several ex-WWE talents are currently thriving in AEW, many of them also had a more prominent legacy in their former company, whether it was becoming multi-time champions or main eventing WrestleMania.
As long as WWE is willing to let their move to AEW slide, here are five former superstars who deserve a WWE Hall of Fame induction.
#5 AEW star Dustin Rhodes
Dustin Rhodes is currently in the twilight of his pro wrestling career. While he was given a new lease of life after joining AEW in 2019, many fans will remember his memorable WWE run as Goldust.
The son of wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes, Dustin has had multiple tenures with the WWE from 1995 to 2019 as "The Bizarre One." He is a three-time Intercontinental Champion, nine-time Hardcore Champion, one-time World Tag Team Champion, and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion.
Goldust has had memorable feuds with Razor Ramon, Triple H, and Roddy Piper, and who can forget his tag-team with Booker T and his interactions with The Rock? Later on, he teamed up with his brother, Cody, and won the Tag Team Championship.
Attitude Era fans will fondly remember Dustin's WWE run for having one of the edgiest gimmicks that pushed the envelope during the late 90's era of wrestling.
#4 AEW star Christian Cage
Before AEW signed Christian Cage at Revolution 2021, Captain Charisma spent most of his career in WWE. He is best known for his tag team with Edge, winning multiple tag titles and giving fans classic moments like the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs series of matches in the early 2000s.
Christian also enjoyed moderate success as a singles competitor where he won a couple of titles, including the European Championship, the Hardcore Championship, ECW Championship, and the Intercontinental Championship.
Sadly, his career was cut short in 2014, but he made a remarkable in-ring comeback at the 2021 Royal Rumble opposite his longtime partner Edge. It also marked the last time Christian stepped into a WWE ring.
Christian's WWE legacy has long been secured for his contributions to tag team wrestling and presence during the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression Era. Even with all his accomplishments, it is incredible that many still consider him underrated.
His brief run in AEW has already proved that Christian is one of the best in the business. Hence, Captain Charisma deserves to receive his just dues as a future WWE Hall of Famer.
#3 AEW star Bryan Danielson
AEW star Bryan Danielson achieved worldwide fame as Daniel Bryan in WWE. He was one of the most famous underdog babyfaces throughout the 2010s.
Despite a career-threatening injury that forced a brief retirement, Bryan achieved a lot in the WWE. He started as an NXT rookie for The Miz and then won the US and World Heavyweight Championships before embarking on a highly entertaining tag team run with Kane. Team Hell No won the Tag Team Championships and allowed Bryan to showcase more of his personality.
But Bryan's greatest achievement in WWE will forever be his Yes! Movement storyline, which culminated at WrestleMania 30. He beat Triple H in the opening match, then ended the night by defeating Randy Orton and Batista to hoist the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Bryan let his WWE contract expire earlier this year and put Roman Reigns over in his final match on SmackDown. He has made an incredible impact in AEW so far, reminding the world of his killer instinct and ability to put on great matches.
If there's ever a surefire WWE Hall of Famer amongst modern wrestlers, it must be Daniel Bryan.
#2 AEW star Chris Jericho
AEW star Chris Jericho is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He came from a generation of well-traveled technicians, having competed worldwide and winning championships in various promotions. However, before joining AEW, "Le Champion" was a mainstay in WWE.
He debuted in 1999, interrupting The Rock in one of the best WWE debuts of all time. He had unforgettable feuds with The Rock, Stone Cold, Triple H, Chris Benoit, and Shawn Michaels throughout the Attitude Era.
He holds the record for the most Intercontinental Championship reigns with nine. In one of his career highlights, he beat The Rock and Stone Cold on the same night on Vengeance 2001 to become the Undisputed Champion.
Jericho has been in and out of WWE a couple of times and reinvented his character constantly to stay ahead of the game. In this decade alone, he feuded with CM Punk and memorably teamed up with Kevin Owens.
While Jericho has not been in WWE for several years already, his legacy will always be tied to the company. Y2J is definitely a shoo-in to being a first-ballot WWE Hall of Famer despite his current association with AEW.
#1 AEW star CM Punk
AEW brought CM Punk back to pro wrestling after seven years away from the industry. He is the biggest ex-WWE signing, proving his greatness since debuting on Rampage: The First Dance.
One of the very best wrestlers of this generation, Punk was an indie darling who made it in the biggest wrestling company in the world and helped open the doors for independent stars to thrive in the WWE.
A two-time Money In The Bank winner, ECW Champion, Intercontinental Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, the Straight Edge Superstar had an impactful WWE run.
While his in-ring skills were undeniable, CM Punk's greatest strength was his ability on the mic. The now-iconic Pipebomb promo led to a 5-star classic with John Cena in Money In The Bank 2011, where he won the WWE Championship and walked out of the company, kickstarting the Summer of Punk.
The AEW star also had the longest-running WWE Championship reign of the modern era at 434 days while having unforgettable battles with Cena, The Undertaker, and Triple H.
It is such a shame how Punk fell out with WWE, and there is a sense that he could have achieved even more if his run didn't end so abruptly. The bad blood between the two parties might hinder CM Punk from getting a Hall of Fame induction unless the bridges are rebuilt.
There might be an argument that CM Punk wouldn't want anything to do with the company and reject a potential invitation. But based on his achievements alone, the AEW star definitely deserves to be put in the WWE Hall of Fame.
