3 AEW stars who need titles to elevate their careers and 2 who don't
AEW currently has five different championships, including a pair of Tag-Team Championships. So far, the wrestlers on the roster have given their all to capture and defend the various championship belts. While All Elite Wrestling has done its best to elevate wrestlers without championships, the belts are still right at the top.
While wrestlers should elevate the championship, more often than not wrestlers' careers are elevated only when they win titles.
This list will dive into three wrestlers who need championships to be elevated and two who don't.
3. NEEDS: Sammy Guevara was in the background of The Inner Circle before becoming champion
Sammy Guevara is high up on this list as the star has begun to slowly shake off the need for a title. Unfortunately, until his win over Miro, Guevara was considered a talented mid-carder by some.
Currently, "The Spanish God" is reinventing himself as one of the top competitors. Guevara is also considered one of the "Four Pillars" and as such will likely go down as one of the best Tony Khan's company has to offer.
2. DOES NOT NEED: Dr Britt Baker has one of the biggest followings in AEW despite being a heel
Britt Baker has improved significantly since her initial debut as a babyface. The star quickly drew an insane amount of heat with her promos and clawed her way to the top. At this stage, Baker still gets pops even as a heel, something that few wrestlers are capable of.
However, Baker grew her fandom because of her match against Thunder Rosa and nonecessarily after winning the championship. Because of this, even Baker herself has declared that she doesn't need the title to remain relevant.
2. NEEDS: Hikaru Shida was a good champion but without the belt seems out of place
Hikaru Shida is the longest reigning champion in AEW across all championships. Her reign was very well received as the star portrayed her warrior gimmick. Shida would eventually lose her championship to Britt Baker and took a lengthy time off television.
Unfortunately, the Japanese star hasn't been very relevant without a championship. She briefly feuded with Serena Deeb but ended up suffering an injury. Since her loss in January, she has stepped away from All Elite Wrestling temporarily.
1. DOES NOT NEED: Kenny Omega shot to fame before even signing with AEW
Kenny Omega is arguably one of the greatest wrestlers in modern pro-wrestling today. Omega picked up the "Belt Collector" gimmick during his championship run after he held four different championships.
Despite this, "The Cleaner" still has a massive fanbase that he built up over the course of his wrestling career. With or without the championship, he's still considered a major player in AEW. Omega truly elevates the championship and not the other way around.
1. NEEDS: "Hangman" Adam Page needed a longer run in AEW before becoming a champion
"Hangman" Adam Page is by no means a bad champion, and his story likely inspires many wrestlers. Page experienced a long journey to championship gold and is proof of successful long-term booking. Just before picking up the title, the crowd would cheer "cowboy sh*t" in support of the star.
Unfortunately, the star hasn't defended his championship enough. Hangman also spends very little time on television despite being a champion. Because of this, Page doesn't come across as the "face" of AEW, and would have been better suited as the TNT Champion first.
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