5 potential matches for Kyle O'Reilly in AEW
Kyle O'Reilly's journey with the NXT brand is indicative of the degree of uncertainty that comes with being a WWE Superstar. Outgrowing the shadow of The Undisputed Era, O'Reilly broke into the main event scene and seemed destined for a coronation in 2021.
O'Reilly's rise to that level meant the end of the faction, with the eventual death coming courtesy of Adam Cole. The former leader would establish a break-out feud between the two to decide who was the future face of the brand.
They had a stellar, unsanctioned match at Takeover: Stand & Deliver and a Three Stages of Hell sequel at Takeover 36. O'Reilly left with his hand raised on both occasions.
However, the developmental reboot saw the champion-elect thrust instead into an introductory program with Von Wagner. The drastic change in trajectory has been a focal point of NXT 2.0, as he represents a dying breed of WWE Superstar.
The remnants of the black and gold brand are slowly disappearing, with former champions like Adam Cole, Karrion Kross and Keith Lee gone, and names such as Kyle O'Reilly and Johnny Gargano set to leave, according to reports.
But as one door closes, another opens.
Hell of a run..
Thank you all. ❤️
#JohnnyTakeOver https://t.co/VowS6CEHSg
AEW's emergence in its two-year lifespan as the top alternative to WWE makes it a prime landing spot for someone like Kyle O'Reilly, and he certainly has some friends there that could make for a smooth transition.
But who could he face? And better yet, what five dream matches could we see realized if he announced himself as All Elite?
#5 Kyle O'Reilly vs Bobby Fish
Readers can be forgiven for questioning the validity of this entry, with Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish having spent the majority of their time together standing shoulder-to-shoulder. However, the reDragon tandem battled each other on two occasions in 2010 for Evolve, trading wins to leave the score at 1-1.
Their careers have become synonymous since, reigning as tag team champions together on the independent circuit, before continuing their dominance as part of the Undisputed Era in NXT. But with Bobby Fish departing the company earlier this year, there has been a brief period of independence between the two.
Fish appeared in MLW competing in the Opera Cup, eliminating Lee Moriarty before falling short in the semi-finals to Davey Richards.
Bobby Fish then signied on with AEW. He has re-established himself to fans as a workhorse that can be relied on to deliver great wrestling, challenging Sammy Guevara for the TNT title and battling at Triplemania Regia for the AAA Mega Championship. O'Reilly hasn't exactly had the chance to savor his run away from Fish, despite the case looking to be the opposite earlier this year.
If a singles run is what Kyle O'Reilly pines for heading into AEW, then he could do worse than distinguish himself as a singles star against his long-time ally.