'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
One of the biggest wrestling newsbreaks of this week has been the news of a new company filling various trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This said company is named ' All Elite Wrestling, LLC' whose address has been traced to TIA Bank Field Arena, which is the home stadium of the NFL team, Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jacksonville Jaguars are owned by the Khan family and its patriarch, Pakistani-American Business magnate Shahid Khan. Apart from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Khan family also owns the Premier League Club, Fulham FC.
This ties with a previous report by various media outlets that the Tony Khan (Shahid Khan's son) was starting a new wrestling promotion along with Chris Jericho and Jim Ross with AXS TV reportedly broadcasting the said company's TV programming. AXS TV was quick to deny it's involvement in the said project and the same was echoed by both Jericho and Ross when they were enquired about it.
The trademark filled by All Elite Wrestling, LLC include 'AEW Double or Nothing', 'Double or Nothing', 'AEW All Out', 'All Out', and 'Tuesday Night Dynamite'. If one takes a closer look at all the names, the words ' Elite' in AEW and ' Double for Nothing' seems to suggest that it is potentially the brainchild of Cody and The Young Bucks. Cody has been teasing a transition to an executive role in the business ever since the huge success of 'ALL IN'.
Add to that the fact that he is currently a free agent and the Bucks contract expiring later this year and it becomes quite clear that the Grandson of a Plumber and The Bucks are planning on mounting the biggest competitor to the WWE in North America in almost two decades. Whether or not this finally materializes, one can't help but salute the guts and conviction of Cody and The Bucks and with the Khan family's involvement, 2019 is going to quite a year for wrestling fans.
As per reports, two WWE Superstars have also contacted by AEW and they have reportedly shown interest in signing with the new promotion. Here are 5 WWE Superstars who we think could potentially sign with AEW if this project eventually comes to fruition:
#5 Bobby Roode
A two-decade veteran of the wrestling business, Bobby Roode's WWE Carrer has seen the highest of ups and the lowest of lows. The Glorious One had a strong showing in NXT where he was the brand's top heel and had a great run with the NXT Championship putting on great matches against the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, Hideo Itami, Kassius Ohno, and Drew McIntyre. But, Roode's main roster run has been nothing but a trainwreck.
To begin with, Roode was presented as a Babyface on the main roster after having a fantastic run as a heel champion in NXT. He was then put in a mediocre feud with Dolph Ziggler which one cared about. By the time, Roode won the United States Championship, people had already stopped caring about the Glorious One. Roode is currently part of a tag team with Chad Gable on Monday Night RAW where he could end up winning the RAW Tag Team Championship but we don't foresee a future World Championship for Roode.
This is sad because everyone predicted Roode to be a future World Champion, given his experience and talent. Roode will never become a top star in the company and it is in his best interest to leave the company as soon as possible. AEW might just be the place where Roode needs to go. Roode has been a world champion in TNA/IMPACT Wrestling and has carried the entire company on his shoulder for almost a year. There is no reason why he can't do it again, w just don't see it happening in the WWE.
#4 Tye Dillinger
When was the last time we saw Tye Dillinger on WWE TV? The Perfect Ten hasn't been heard or seen on SmackDown and has only had a handful of TV matches ever since debuting on the main roster after WrestleMania 33. Despite not being a top star in NXT, the former Shawn Spears had spent a considerable amount of time in WWE developmental, first in Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) and then in NXT. Dillinger is one of the few Superstars who got over with the crowd despite the company never giving him a proper push. Just have a look at the reception Dillinger received when he entered the Royal Rumble in, you guessed it, the No. 10 spot:
Dillinger could've easily been slotted into the mid-card of the blue brand but the company hasn't even tried to push the Canadian as a solid mid-carder which has meant has that Dillinger is occasionally seen on TV, mostly in backstage skits and has been reduced to a comedy act. Dillinger was last seen getting decimated by Randy Orton on SmackDown.
Dillinger has untapped potential and a likeable personality which made fans endear to him during his time in NXT and his initial time on the main roster. But the company's treatment of Dillinger has meant that fans aren't interested in what could've been a big money spinner for the company. Things aren't looking promising for Dillinger in the WWE and move elsewhere could work wonders for The Perfect Ten. Dillinger would be a valuable addition to AEW and could easily be an upper mid-card star in the company.
#3 Sami Zayn
The former El Generico is currently out of action due to injury and isn't expected to return to the ring anytime soon. After signing with WWE in 2013, Zayn had to starch and crawl his way to an NXT Championship match. Zayn defeated Neville at NXT Takeover: R Evolution in December 2014 to capture the NXT Championship before being battered and decimated by his best-friend, Kevin Owens.
Zayn would lose his NXT Championship to Owens a few months later at NXT Takeover: Rival. Zayn had his final NXT match against a debuting Shinsuke Nakamura at NXT Takeover: Dallas during WrestleMania 32 week in what many have called ' The Best WWE match of 2016'. But, in spite of being one of the biggest underdogs in the WWE since Daniel Bryan, Zayn hasn't had the success that fans hoped for.
From being put in an array of meaningful TV and pay-per-view to being involved in one of the worst segments in WWE history, Zayn has been heavily been pushed down the ranks so much so many felt that his injury might a blessing in disguise for the Montreal-native to recuperate and refresh his character as it had started to become stale. Given how big of a figure Zayn was in the independent circuit prior to joining WWE, AEW would be foolish not to negotiation with former NXT Champion and given his status in the company, Zayn would be better off in a promotion like AEW.
#2 Gallows and Anderson
Once considered to be the best tag teams in the world, Gallows and Anderson are a shadow of their former self, three years into the run in the world's biggest Wrestling promotion. Karl Anderson was one of the founding members of 'Bullet Club' and the former Machine Gun was one of the top gaijin (non-japanese) stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling for a long time before leaving the promotion for WWE in 2016. Luke Gallows, on the other hand, had started his Carrer with the WWE as a contestant in 'Tough Enough' in 2005. Despite not making it to the top ten, Gallows signed a developmental deal with the company and was sent to Deep South Wrestling before debuting on the main roster as an imposter of Kane.
Gallows would then go on have a decent run with the company before being released in November 2010. He would then ply his trade in TNA as part of Aces and Eight before moving to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Gallows and Anderson would dominate the tag team division in NJPW winning the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on multiple occasions before arriving on WWE the night after WrestleMania 32.
Initially billed as a monster heel duo, Gallows and Anderson's only shining moment has been their brief run with the RAW Tag Team Championship. The Good Brothers are rarely seen on TV these days and are usually seen competing on the kick-off show if they make it to a pay-per-view card. With their contract most probably expiring early next year, Gallows and Anderson would be a big catch for AEW and given their storied history with The Bucks, we see no reason why the new promotion wouldn't like to have a couple of Good Brothers in their ranks.
#1 Finn Balor
Finn Balor is without a doubt one of the best in-ring performers of this generation. The Leader of the Balor Club is one of the most popular Superstars in the WWE and has a charisma, only few can match. But despite being one of the over characters on Monday Nights, Balor has sadly been a victim of the company's inconsistent booking which has meant that the Irishman has had a noteworthy feud for a long time. Instead of having Balor in a major feud or programme, the company chose to put the Irishman in TV matches against the likes of Jinder Mahal and Bobby Lashley week, which has led to the character of Balor losing a lot of sheen.
While Balor has been one of the most consistent performers in the company over the past few months, the company has never really gotten behind the inaugural Universal Championship ever since he returned to the company after a long layoff from injury after WrestleMania 33. This has got to be frustrating for Balor considering he had been a top star in NXT and was at the peak of his Carrer, leading the greatest Wrestling faction of this generation (Bullet Club) in Japan and leaving all of it to come to the WWE in 2014.
WWE's treatment of Balor has left many fans fuming and raging against the company's creative team. While Balor's current contract details are unknown at the moment, given the kind of impact he has made on the wrestling business, any company would want to have the former Prince Devitt in their ranks and the same goes for AEW being reportedly is the brainchild of Cody and The Bucks, who wouldn't have been here without the Bullet Club, which Balor founded and was the stable's first and only official leader.
