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Wrestling fans around the world witnessed history recently as Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks and the rest of The Elite crew announced the birth of All Elite Wrestling. Cody and The Young Bucks spent most of 2018 trying to figure out how to put together something fresh, entertaining and authentic for the common wrestling fan and thanks to the financial backing of billionaire philanthropist Shahid Khan and family, the ink is finally drying and the paperwork is complete. All Elite Wrestling is now a "thing" and this is something wrestling fans around the world should immediately get excited about.
At the recent press conference in Jacksonville, Florida, AEW introduced not only Cody and The Young Bucks as executives for the upstart promotion, but they also announced the first group of signees to the company. Chris Jericho, 'Hangman' Adam Page, Maxwell Jacob Friedman(MJF), Joey Janela, SoCal Uncensored and PAC(formerly known as Neville) are just a few of the names that were highlighted at this groundbreaking press conference. The company also announced their first two upcoming events as well. The first AEW event will be held in Las Vegas on May 25, 2019, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. AEW's second event will be held at a later date in Jacksonville, FL and it appears that Jacksonville will likely be the headquarters for AEW, considering it is also the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Football team, also owned by Khan.
AEW officials mean business. A lot of cash has already been dropped, without a single match taking place. The Khan family has already shown their faith not only in Cody and crew but also in the wrestling fans. If the product is good, the fans will hand over their hard-earned money, willingly and if the company proves that they really are dedicated to "listening to the fans," those same fans will make AEW a very successful company. Wrestling is better for the fans when there is competition and until now, the last real competition that WWE had, was WCW. With all due respect to the IMPACT guys, they never offered a true threat to WWE ratings. However, if all of the pieces fall into place, we could witness the beginning of something really special.
It appears AEW is serious about signing the best free agents on the market and if they are, who comes next? Cody mentioned during the press conference that AEW would pay all of their wrestlers a respectable wage and that alone is enough to attract the attention of the average free agent who feels they have been underpaid for far too long. With that said, which IMPACT stars should AEW go after? Better yet, which wrestlers on the current IMPACT roster should immediately pack their bags and make the jump?
In this column, we take a look at 5 current IMPACT wrestlers who should sign with AEW in the near future.
#5 Moose
We will kick this list off with one of the best pure athletes in wrestling today. Moose is someone who certainly has a lot of room for improvement, but in such a short time, Moose has already shown the discipline and drive needed to become a top-tier professional wrestler.
Like many of today's top stars, Moose came to the wrestling world from professional football, after a stint in the NFL. His presence and sheer athleticism make him a force to be reckoned with. While a talent-rich company such as WWE probably would not be a good fit for Moose, AEW is the perfect platform for Moose to start his next chapter.
#4 Sami Callihan
Sami Callihan is a well-traveled veteran with over 12 years of in-ring experience to his credit. He is a ruthless, relentless maniac who is willing to do just about anything to please the audience. This was first proved during his time with Combat Zone Wrestling, which is one of several promotions that focus on the "Ultra-Violent" style.
Sami is often compared to former ECW great and IMPACT alumni Tazz. Standing 5'11' and weighing a little over 200 pounds, it's clear that there are definitely similarities. Both Tazz and Sami share that in-ring killer instinct that is needed when you're not the average, cookie-cutter pro wrestler.
CZW is not the only promotion where Sami saw a good deal of success. Sami has also worked for PWG, Dragon Gate, EVOLVE, NJPW and of course WWE. Sami brings a plethora of quality experience to the table, along with a nearly cult-like following, which is guaranteed to bring a unique breed of fans to the fold.
#3 Tessa Blanchard
So, what happens when your biological father is a WWE Hall of Famer and a member of the original Four Horsemen, combined that with the fact that your step-father is one of the greatest wrestlers of the famed Territory Era? Well, you become Tessa Blanchard, that's exactly what happens. Tessa is quick to let you know that she has a fantastic relationship with her father, Tully Blanchard, as well as her step-father, Magnum TA.
Tessa Blanchard is not just a pretty face with a famous last name. In fact, she's done pretty well for herself, considering she has only 23-years-old and has been in the ring for just a few years. She has actually won several top-tier titles as well, which include the IMPACT Knockouts Title. Tessa was also named the IMPACT Knockout of the year for 2018. It's also worth noting that she was also named the ranked number 3 in the top 10 women's wrestlers of the year for 2018 by Sports Illustrated.
#2 Matt Sydal
When you think of Matt Sydal, many fans may remember him best as "Evan Bourne" during his stint as a WWE Superstar. However, Sydal has accomplished a lot more than just winning a tag title with Kofi Kingston...you remember "Air Boom!" In fact, one thing many fans don't know is that Matt has a list of title victories a mile long, from all over the world.
Along with that previously mentioned WWE Tag Team Championship, Matt also has an IWGP Tag Team title win under his belt, which he held with his then tag team partner, Ricochet. Matt has also won the Ring of Honor Tag Team Championship, IMPACT Grand Championship, and the IMPACT X-Division title, just to mention a few.
Despite winning a plethora of title matches throughout his nearly two-decade career, Sydal has not defined his career based solely on title wins alone. He is probably best known for his true passion for the sport of professional wrestling. Fans can tell by his demeanor and the way he interacts with the fanbase, that he truly is proud to perform for and entertain the wrestling fans around the world. It is also important to remember that Matt Sydal is more than just a smiling face. He is a highly skilled, entertaining in-ring performer and AEW would be a nice catalyst for him to elevate his game to the next level.
#1 Killer Kross
I was first introduced to Kevin "Killer" Kross during a trip to Las Vegas. While town on vacation, the hotel concierge informed me that there was a local wrestling promotion which held televised shows inside the Sams Town Casino. The name of the promotion was Future Stars of Wrestling and apparently, the company held regionally televised shows every Friday evening. Not only that but when I got there, I was let in for free. With that said, I'm not sure if they commonly just give away free admission, but on this particular night, myself, as well as several others were just waved right on in and seated, free of charge. On this particular night, Matt Hardy was on the card, along with the rest of the normal FSW roster and let me tell you, they had a fantastic roster.
While I was watching the FSW show, I quickly learned of this "Kevin Kross" guy and I was certainly impressed. Not only was Kross an impressive performer, but he was also the FSW Champion at the time. I left that evening not only highly satisfied with what I had witnessed, but I was curious why I had never really heard of Kross.
When the news broke that Kross had signed with IMPACT, I was not at all surprised. In fact, I was more surprised that WWE hadn't made a play at getting The Tollman. Nevertheless, things have worked out perfectly fine for Kross and now with the birth of All Elite Wrestling, Kross would be a prime candidate for an upstart company in need of quality talent.
