Daniel Bryan, Buddy Murphy and more: 5 big name free agents people want to see in AEW
AEW set out to disrupt the wrestling industry and has been pretty successful so far. Despite WWE still being unquestionably the biggest promotion, their monopoly has been reduced. No longer do wrestlers have just one top company to make a name for themselves, as AEW presents a viable alternative.
This becomes even more prominent when WWE goes ahead with its annual budget cuts, releasing plenty of highly talented superstars.
As unfortunate as that is for the released performers, it presents an opportunity for them to look for different avenues, as well as other promotions to bolster their rosters.
AEW has shown this repeatedly, signing the likes of Andrade, Mr. Brodie Lee (Luke Harper), Malakai Black (Aleister Black) and Miro (Rusev), among others, to enhance their own roster.
This isn't to say that only WWE-released superstars are talented; there are plenty of highly talented workers currently working independently who would be fine additions to AEW's already stacked roster.
Despite fan anticipation being at an all-time high and recent reports, CM Punk will not be included as he's more of a retired veteran than a free agent. With that out of the way, let's take a look at 5 big names AEW fans are clamoring for.
#5. The IIconics to AEW
While AEW can be credited for a lot of things, their women's division still needs some work despite recent improvements.
The IIconics (Peyton Royce and Billie Kay) were released in April 2021 from WWE after a solid stint wherein they won the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania 35. The charismatic duo were quite over with the WWE Universe and arguably the best tag team in WWE's women's division.
Although not on par with the best women's wrestlers in the world, the Australians are wonderful at being sneaky, annoying heel characters, which is what got them over in the first place. They also bring a certain amount of star power with them.
Peyton Royce's partner Shawn Spears is already in AEW and the IIconics' non-compete clause expired on July 14, 2021. In June, they filed a trademark for "The IInspirations" which could end up being their new tag name.
Considering their popularity, abilities and the injection of star power in the women's division, AEW should try and get them on board as soon as possible.