As AEW's roster continues to grow and change, so does the company's hall of champions. With a plethora of championships up for grabs, including sets of AEW and ROH titles, there are plenty of options for the current roster to step up and elevate themselves. Looking to the future, however, only some will be able to reach the top of the mountain as world champions.
Whether it be joining the likes of Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and Jon Moxley as future AEW World Champions, or following in the path of Britt Baker, Hikaru Shida, and Riho as AEW Women's World Champion, there are a number of men and women's wrestlers in All Elite Wrestling that feel like they can be future world champions.
10 Brody King
With Malakai Black sidelined due a back injury and mental health reasons, the Summer of 2022 saw fellow House of Black member, Brody King, be elevated into a singles star. Winning the first-ever Royal Rampage match, King would score a shot at Jon Moxley's AEW Interim World Championship during the Summer, while also engaging in an extended feud with Darby Allin.
In this somewhat surprising turn of events, Brody King has gotten over quite strongly with the AEW fans. With Malakai possibly gone from the company now, it feels like Brody King could possibly be set to move up the ladder even further in the coming months within AEW. The fact remains though, that King impressed this past Summer and feels like a name that could eventually be pushed into the World Championship scene.
9 Ricky Starks
Arriving on the scene in AEW during Cody Rhodes' first-ever run with the TNT Championship, Ricky Starks has been one of the breakout stars in wrestling over the past 2 years. After a scary neck injury left him sidelined for a period, Starks' 2022 has been a very compelling one, as it saw he and Powerhouse Hobbs become one of the best teams in the company before splitting and entering a blood feud.
Despite losing at All Out 2022, Ricky Starks feels like he is one of the most over stars in the company and is a fast-rising babyface poised to earn his spot as one of the top guys in AEW. While it may not be in the immediate future, with a TNT Championship run more likely first, should Ricky Starks stay #AllElite, he could very well be a future AEW World Champion.
8 Kris Statlander
A staple of the AEW Women's Division since 2019, Kris Statlander remains one of the most popular female stars in the company. Shifting her character in 2022 from the lovable alien of the Best Friends, to a more serious, realized pro-wrestler, Kris Statlander seemed poised to dethrone Jade Cargill at AEW All Out before suffering a horribly-timed injury.
Her second leg injury of her AEW career, Statlander is currently on the shelf until 2023, a true shame for fans as most were awaiting her time in the spotlight. Despite this, Kris will once again have a hero's welcome whenever she does make her return to the ring. While the TBS Championship may be in her future, it goes without saying that due to her popularity and great in-ring work, the AEW Women's World Championship should be in Kris' future as well.
7 Eddie Kingston
Arriving in AEW in similar fashion to Ricky Starks, Eddie Kingston would debut as a challenger during Cody Rhodes' TNT Open Challenge era. Since then, Kingston has become one of the top stars of the company, through feuds with Jon Moxley, CM Punk, and Chris Jericho.
Cemented as one of the top babyfaces in the company, seeing Eddie Kingston eventually win a major, mainstream World Championship would be one of the best moments in AEW history, and with his booking, it seems more than possible.
6 Wardlow
Currently in the midst of his first championship reign in AEW, Wardlow is running through opponent after opponent as the TNT Champion. Despite feeling like he has lost a bit of steam since his peak at Double or Nothing, Wardlow remains ever-popular with the AEW Fanbase and with a tease of a future program with Samoa Joe, fans are salivating for more.
Openly stating that he sees himself as an AEW-lifer, fans can expect Mr. Mayhem to be a key player at the top of All Elite Wrestling for years to come. As his stock continues to rise, and as he continues to grow as a performer, Wardlow eventually winning the AEW World Championship, potentially dethroning MJF in the future, could be a major success story for AEW.
5 Jamie Hayter
While many fans seemed eager to see Jamie Hayter finally turn on Britt Baker at AEW Grand Slam, that was put on ice once again, as the former besties reunited to beat down Toni Storm before being confronted by a debuting Saraya. As disappointing as that may be, Jamie still likely will be featured prominently in the coming months on the road to Full Gear.
Consistently getting more and more over with each outing in front of the live audience, fans seem to be taking to Jamie, with her getting great reactions during any of her recent matches on Television or PPV. The future seems bright for Jamie, and whenever Tony Khan finally pulls the trigger on her turn, Hayter getting a run with the AEW Women's World title could be huge.
4 "Hangman" Adam Page
Taking part in a critically-acclaimed storyline over the AEW World Championship against Kenny Omega through 2020 and 2021, Hangman Page became AEW World Champion at Full Gear 2021. Dropping the belt to CM Punk in May of 2022, Page has lost a lot of steam unfortunately, though he does remain one of the top babyfaces in the company.
With Punk looking less likely to return, and with The Elite/Hangman Page story on hold for now, it remains to be seen where Page factors into things moving forward. Winning the Golden Ticket Battle Royal on AEW Rampage, Hangman has a future AEW World Title shot against Jon Moxley, and while he likely won't win, it seems more than likely that Page will become a two-time AEW Champion sooner or later.
3 Swerve Strickland
Capturing the AEW World Tag Team Titles alongside Keith Lee almost out of nowhere, Swerve Strickland has found his groove in AEW after debuting this past Spring. Following their loss to The Acclaimed, Swerve in Our Glory are now without the gold, and with Swerve having been portrayed as a heel since All Out, the direction seems very intriguing.
As Swerve and Keith will likely collide in the future, Strickland feels like a future main event star in the making. Having thrilled during his time in NXT, and now having broken out even more in AEW, the future looks bright for Swerve, with more AEW gold in his future, and possibly even the top prize.
2 Jade Cargill
Outside of Britt Baker and Toni Storm, Jade Cargill is undeniably one of the biggest stars in the AEW Women's Division. Having one of the best looks in all of wrestling, the current undefeated, TBS Champion is in the midst of a historic run as the first-ever champion. While her matches still may not be great, Cargill is improving with every match and looks to be a franchise player for Tony Khan's promotion.
Whenever the time comes for Jade to finally lose, and to drop the TBS Championship in the process, it feels inherently important that her booking remains strong. As the TBS title will likely be a stepping stone for her, Jade Cargill feels like a secure bet to be a future AEW Women's World Champion.
1 MJF
Returning to AEW at All Out 2022 in a thrilling angle that saw him winning the Casino Ladder Match to earn a future AEW World Championship Match, MJF is undeniably hotter than he has ever been. Garnering the strongest reactions on nearly every show since the PPV, MJF has been teasing a future match with Jon Moxley, and following AEW Dynamite Grand Slam, fans now know that MJF has a future date with the three-time AEW Champion.
With a shot at the top prize in wrestling secured, MJF now looks to be all but guaranteed to be the next AEW World Champion, whether that be at Full Gear in November, or possibly even before that. Should the devil himself win the belt, fans can expect Max to go forth with a lengthy run as the world champion at the top of All Elite Wrestling.