5 AEW stars who could eventually join WWE under Stephanie McMahon and Triple H's new leadershipÂ
It was a shockingly eventful weekend for WWE as Vince McMahon revealed he would be retiring from his roles as Chairman, CEO and Head of Creative.
After it was confirmed that Stephanie McMahon would inherit the role of Chairwoman and Co-CEO alongside Nick Khan, news broke today that Triple H will oversee creative going forward.
Given that and the fact that the King of Kings is also back in his role of Talent Relations, it sure looks as though fans could expect a different WWE going forward.
Triple H's NXT was was revered by fans as one of the shining lights of wrestling with its Black and Gold era in the 2010s. On a product level, the third brand outshone its older siblings SmackDown and RAW, creating new and lasting stars for the main roster including Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins.
With a Triple H-led creative and recruitment drive, there is a strong chance that WWE is putting together its own wish list of talent fit for the new regime. Perhaps some names reside in the promotion's arch-rival, All Elite Wrestling.
With all that being said, let's take a look at five AEW stars who would fit the creative ethos of Triple H as WWE looks set for a potential change of direction.
#5. The Young Bucks - Potential future WWE tag champs?
These days, fans will have a hard time finding a better tandem than The Young Bucks. They are athletic, charismatic and dedicated to their craft while also holding the distinction of having achieved global fame without a significant run in WWE.
They were hot on the promotion's radar in 2019, with Triple H determined to land The Elite (which also included Hangman Page, Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes). However, The Bucks declined a lucrative offer in order to start AEW alongside Tony Khan, and the rest is history.
Three years is a long time and a lot has happened since they turned down Vince McMahon and co. For one, they have reached the top of the mountain within AEW a record-setting two times, lighting up Wednesday nights with electric dream matches against the likes of FTR, the Lucha Brothers and the aforementioned Page and Omega.
Perhaps more surprising than that has been their slip down the pecking order as the company has grown. The Bucks have made a career of achievement, and have done so well with AEW that there remains little room to grow.
One thing NXT enjoyed under Triple H was a significant emphasis on the craft of tag team wrestling, as current AEW teams FTR and reDRagon can attest.
A change in setting may benefit both The Bucks and WWE, adding another exemplary tandem to a roster including The Usos and The New Day. For Matt and Nick Jackson, WWE remains the final frontier to amass more accolades and dream matches.
#4. Hangman Page - AEW's homegrown babyface
In 2019, The Elite were the apple of WWE and Triple H's eye. Cody, Kenny and The Bucks were offered lucrative deals and promised main roster glory. Unlike his stablemates, however, the unproven Hangman Adam Page would have had to run through the promotion's developmental system.
As said before, a lot can change in three years, and now Hangman casts a much larger shadow as one of the biggest babyfaces in the business.
The former AEW Champion has shown in less than a calendar year that he can stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and CM Punk. That's three former world champions within WWE.
The best of Hangman Page is his character, a believable babyface who tells compelling stories both inside and outside the wrestling ring. He's gained even more fans out of the ring, redefining what a modern babyface can be by displaying vulnerability and confidence issues.
With top heels like Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins on the roster, the company could do worse than bringing in someone like Page, who organically gets the fans behind him. Maybe Hangman will enjoy a feel-good WrestleMania moment like Bryan Danielson has in the past?
#3. Britt Baker - The shining star of the AEW women's division
Here is Dr. @RealBrittBaker D.M.D., who has been dominating @AEW, with the first-ever Female Wrestler of the Year at #SKWrestlingAwards, presented by Sportskeeda!
#AEW #AEWDynamite #BrittBaker https://t.co/UeK3EI94nt
Triple H making his return to lead creative shouldn't get in the way of the blockbuster appointment of Stephanie McMahon as Co-CEO.
For a long time now, Steph has shared credit with the Four Horsewoman, AJ Lee, Paige, Lita, Mickie James and Trish Stratus when it comes to the 'Women's Revolution' and the growth of women's wrestling over the past decade. So it'd only make sense for there to be an emphasis on female talent going forward.
Women's wrestling has unfortunately suffered a dip in its consistency in WWE lately. Although stars like Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley have broken the glass ceiling, there have been far more missteps and ball-drops in recent years.
The All Elite women's division has also left a lot to be desired. However, for all of its shortcomings, a shining light emerged in the form of Britt Baker.
Sharp on the mic and an immensely compelling heel, Baker enjoyed perhaps the most dominant run with the women's title in the promotion's history. She continues to be another premier wrestling talent who has achieved all she has without a run in WWE.
The wrestling dentist wouldn't look out of place next to characters such as Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair. In fact, the argument could be made that she'd be better suited to the supposed Premier League of pro wrestling.
#2. Kenny Omega - The one that got away
Hear me out @TripleH @wwe @TonyKhan
@KennyOmegamanX vs. @WWERomanReigns at #SummerSlam https://t.co/XGoj4XN9NU
Ever since Seth Rollins brazenly mentioned The Cleaner in 2017, fans have been buzzing over the concept of Kenny Omega in WWE. Rollins even went as far to borrow a variation of Omega's V-Trigger, blending it with Kauzchika Okada's Rainmaker and renaming it the 'King's Landing'.
It's not just Rollins that was earmarked as a dream opponent for The Best Bout Machine. Another feud touted for Kenny Omega was a WrestleMania clash with AJ Styles, whom the former ejected from the Bullet Club faction when AJ left for WWE.
The plethora of dream matches awaiting the former AEW Champion in the Stamford promotion combined with the fact that Triple H went above and beyond to secure his signature makes clear the appeal of the Canadian star as a potential signing.
However, doubts remain as to whether The Best Bout Machine would get the treatment he deserves in a promotion that has stung him once before. But when looking at the treatment Triple H provided the likes of Johnny Gargano, Adam Cole and Tomasso Ciampa, it's plain to see that Omega very much fits the Cerebral Assassin's mold.
It'd be a waste if he was never to make his way to WWE, and under new management this may be the most opportune time.
#1. MJF - The bidding war of 2024, or perhaps before
Having made it no secret himself, MJF plans for North America's top promotions to battle for his signature. It's easy to see why that would be the case, as well. MJF is easily the best heel in the business today, eternally dedicated to his craft and immensely good in the ring too.
While wrestling often sells the spectacle of its matches, MJF sells tickets purely based on the promise of a promo featuring the Long Islander. With greater emphasis on the entertainment aspect of the industry, it feels as though a character like MJF belongs on RAW or SmackDown.
Verbal jousts with fellow characters like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and the Miz are simply too promising to ignore.
Add that to the fact that MJF has quite literally gone against AEW in recent months, falling out with Tony Khan in a line-blurring tale of discontent. Triple H could do worse than bringing in the hottest prospect to never have entered Titan Towers.