The short history of AEW featured many new stars making their names in the wrestling industry. Most of the talents were performing on the independent circuit looking for a bigger platform. AEW did sign some established stars in the early months like Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and The Young Bucks, but most were still looking to break out.
The homegrown stars are the wrestlers able to shine in AEW by finding the right situation. WWE and other promotions missed the boat on taking advantage of their status when on the open market. Unfortunately, not everyone had the same story when some struggled to break out. Without further ado, let's find out the best and worst stories of AEW homegrown talents.
10 Jungle Boy
The early start to AEW saw Jungle Boy positioned as a homegrown star for the future. Tony Khan and other important people in the company discussed viewing Jack Perry as a future top star when signing him at a young age.
Jungle Boy has primarily been in the Jurassic Express tag team with Luchasaurus and Marko Stunt. However, the company elevates him whenever they need to show him in a singles role. Jungle Boy has stepped up in big matches against Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and Darby Allin.
9 Jade Cargill
One of the biggest success stories for AEW’s ability to find new talent featured Jade Cargill breaking out. Fans were taken back at the impressive look and athleticism of Cargill when she got involved in segments with Cody and Brandi Rhodes.
The handful of matches have come in big spots, including teaming with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal against Cody and Red Velvet. Jade is clearly a big part of the future for AEW’s Women’s Division and is already a homegrown success.
8 Ricky Starks
The short run in the NWA put Ricky Starks on AEW’s radar, but few fans knew about him. Starks started to mature as a performer instantly on the AEW roster. A strong performance in Cody’s TNT Championship open match challenge saw Starks hired on the spot.
AEW has elevated Ricky into a bigger role in the Team Taz faction led by the legendary Taz. The impressive performances led to Starks becoming an equal to Brian Cage instead of a sidekick. AEW has invested the time into making Starks a big part of their future.
7 Sammy Guevara
The journey of Sammy Guevara saw him breaking out in the Inner Circle faction led by Chris Jericho. Guevara was an impressive athlete going back to his independent wrestling days and started to create momentum in the early AEW shows.
The time with The Inner Circle featured memorable matches against Darby Allin, Matt Hardy, and Kenny Omega. Guevara never had a role on a major promotion’s program before AEW, but he has proven he had the ability to thrive in a bigger environment.
6 Tay Conti
WWE should have been the place to make Tay Conti a homegrown star since she did train at the Performance Center. However, the massive improvement and finding herself as a performer came relatively quickly into her AEW stint.
Conti never had a noteworthy role in NXT before receiving her release from WWE. The run in AEW established Tay as a homegrown star the company clearly wants to build around. A strong winning streak has made her a top player in the Women’s Division moving forward.
5 Orange Cassidy
The polarizing gimmick of Orange Cassidy kept other promotions away from offering him a contract. AEW not only took the chance on Cassidy, but they did outstanding work elevating him into a major player on television.
Live crowds reacted strongest to OC, but it was the time frame of no crowds or limited crowds where Cassidy broke out in the ring. Strong performances against Pac, Chris Jericho, and others proved that Orange could have matches at the highest level as a top-tier AEW name.
4 Adam Page
It could be considered disrespectful to Ring of Honor to name Adam Page as a homegrown AEW star, but his time in the current promotion changed his career. Hangman was booked as just another guy in the Bullet Club even though he did have noteworthy moments in ROH.
The storyline of detaching himself from The Elite made Page show his character side in AEW. Fans of the product love Hangman as much as anyone else in the company and he seems prepped to have a major feud with Kenny Omega over the AEW World Championship when the timing is right.
3 MJF
The heel character of MJF has become a huge success for AEW. He is now leading his own faction known as The Pinnacle. MJF was showcasing this character on the independent circuit, but he never had the platform to establish himself until AEW.
The early signing showed just how much Tony Khan and the Executive Vice Presidents believed in his potential. MJF has already been involved in major programs against the likes of Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and Jon Moxley more than holding his own.
2 Britt Baker
AEW named Britt Baker as the first signing of the Women’s Division at the original press conference announcing the company. Baker’s potential was obvious from the start, but she got off to a tough start in the early months with a failed face run.
The lack of experience in relevant promotions made it a harder adjustment for Britt who ended up thriving as a heel. Creative and performance freedom from the heel side is typically stronger. Baker has showcased that with stellar promos allowing her to find herself as the top name in the AEW Women’s Division. The Lights Out match with Thunder Rosa further cemented Britt as a top homegrown star.
1 Darby Allin
No wrestler has represented the term "homegrown star" for AEW more than Darby Allin in the first two years. Allin signed early after Cody Rhodes enjoyed his work on smaller promotions. Evolve was the home promotion of Darby with many quotes stating his unhappiness.
AEW gave Allin the spotlight and the freedom to create his own video packages for character development. Darby has thrived as the TNT Champion with his wild matches. He fits in well working with Sting as his mentor. The TNT Title reign has made Allin one of the faces of the company up there with Jon Moxley, Cody, and Chris Jericho.