5 non-AEW Superstars who could answer Cody's TNT Championship Open Challenge
At All Elite Wrestling's last pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, Cody became the inaugural TNT Champion, as he secured a vital win over 'The Muderhawk Monster' Lance Archer. Having defeated Shawn Spears and Darby Allin earlier in the TNT Championship Tournament, Cody was able to overcome the threat possessed by Archer in the finals - in what was arguably one of Cody's biggest wins in AEW so far.
The win was also Cody's first title win in AEW and on the following edition of AEW Dynamite, the former 'American Nightmare' revealed that he would be hosting a TNT Championship Open Challenge every week.
This coming Wednesday, Cody will also mark his first defense of the TNT Title, as he prepares himself to put his newly won title on the line against Jungle Boy, who won a Battle Royal on last week's Dynamite to become the #1 contender for the title.
However, interestingly enough, Cody revealed a new rule for the TNT Championship Open Challenge, via one of his latest Q&A sessions' on Twitter, claiming that non-AEW Superstars are also eligible to challenge for the TNT Championship.
As we all know, several WWE Superstars were recently released by the company, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which presumably forced WWE to cut down on their talent pool. There are currently a bunch of superstars who are either working as free agents or aren't committed to one particular promotion.
With that being said, there is a possibility for several notable names to possibly step up to Cody's TNT Title Open Challenge in the coming weeks and try their best to take the title away from the AEW EVP.
Therefore, in this list, we will take a look at 5 non-AEW Superstars who could answer Cody's TNT Championship Open Challenge.
#5 Brian Pillman Jr.
Brian Pillman Jr. is one of the most talented superstars today. Son of the legendary superstar Brian Pillman, he is currently working for Major League Wrestling and despite having made his debut just three years ago, in 2017, Pillman Jr. has quickly established himself as one of the finest second generation workers in the business today.
Pillman Jr. was trained by former WWE Intercontinental Champion Lance Storm and, during the initial stages of his MLW career, he was mentored by Kevin Sullivan, who was his father's rival in WCW.
Having formed the New Era Hart Foundation in MLW, Pillman Jr. has been on the rise on the Independent Circuit. He has previously shared the ring with current AEW Superstar Lance Archer and others and, in 2019, he also took part in a battle royal at the very first Double or Nothing PPV, which was also AEW's first PPV altogether.
Having technically worked under AEW already, this could the perfect opportunity for Cody and Co. to bring back Pillman Jr. and have him challenge for the TNT Championship. The man himself also teased the possibility of it, while responding to Cody.
We'll have to wait and see if the son of the "Loose Cannon" makes his return to AEW, but it's a possibility.