The Future of AEW: 3 Names to watch before they blow
AEW is still a company in its infancy, despite presenting itself as the top competition to the perceived Premier League of pro-wrestling, WWE. As such, they are still in the process of developing their home-grown main eventers.
Despite having names like Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, and Chris Jericho on their roster, what will prove to be make-or-break for AEW is their ability to build and cement new stars on their road to stardom within the company.
At the time of writing, there are three names waiting in the wings for their grand opportunity to ascend among the greatest names in the business. Here they are:
#3 Jade Cargill - Poised to take the AEW Women's division by storm
Jade Cargill started her journey within AEW a complete unknown to fans of wrestling, with no prior experience inside the squared circle, aside from stints in wrestling schools such as WWE's Performance Center.
She debuted to announce that NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal was coming to AEW, which preceded their dual debut against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on the March 3rd episode of Dynamite, where Cargill pinned Velvet to secure the victory.
In all of her 11 outings in AEW, Cargill has emerged victorious, showing a keen intent for AEW to establish her as a legitimate contender in the women's division. She also hails comparisons to WWE Hall of Famer Chyna owing to her physique and superstar aura.
Cargill has thus far established herself as a star prepared for a meteoric rise, with dominant wins against Women's World Title challenger Red Velvet and former Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champion Kiera Hogan.
As a legitimate homegrown talent within AEW that has the look and a good grasp of wrestling in such a short period of time, Cargill represents a true future champion within AEW, set for a monumental run with the belt.
2. Will Jungle Boy have his Daniel Bryan moment in AEW?
If there is one thing wrestling fans love, it's a good underdog story. We have seen this previously when Daniel Bryan overcame the odds within WWE at WrestleMania to defeat Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista all in one night for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
History within professional wrestling states that, more often than not, mammoth superstars and Olympian physiques are the bench-mark for what makes a world champion.
Even within New Japan Pro Wrestling, where wrestling ability is favored above aesthetic, you have to be a "heavyweight" to earn the greatest prize within the company. AEW has gradually defied the status quo by building up Jungle Boy as a future contender ripe for a run with the world title.
The fanbase is legitimately behind him as we have heard from live responses to his entrance and as such AEW should look to pull the trigger on his title run, perhaps even by taking the belt off this man...
#1 MJF- The most hated man in AEW has the greatest potential
Just as AEW seem to be building their ultimate good guy, they have been building the ultimate villain with MJF. The former Tough Enough contestant is a certified heat magnet within the company, maintaining his persona as a heel on Twitter in interactions with fans.
Having just emerged victorious in a feud with the iconic Chris Jericho and being a cornerstone in AEW programming, winning the Dynamite Diamond Ring twice since its inception, MJF has become someone the fans tune in for and remains ever present on AEW programming.
MJF has so far in his time with AEW recorded key victories against big names such as Cody Rhodes and Diamond Dallas Page, on top of winning the inaugural Blood and Guts match leading his Pinnacle faction against Chris Jericho and the Inner Circle.
While we are discussing champions in the future, MJF is very well someone who could taste world gold as soon as this year. The hero/villain dynamic between Jungle Boy and MJF in the future is definitely brewing and could very well slot itself within the list of greatest rivalries in the industry.