The rise of All Elite Wrestling has led to a great deal of intrigue as to how successful this promotion is going to be. They've certainly been able to get off to a wonderful start, but sustaining that kind of success is going to be another box of tricks altogether.
AEW's trajectory isn't going to be clear until we've got a good few months worth of programming to work with, but, until we get to that point, we're happy to sit back and mull over the possibilities as to which of their stars will go on to achieve mainstream fame.
10 MJF
There’s something so beautiful—and annoying—about a bad guy that simply refuses to drop his character or persona at any and all times. With that in mind, say hello to Maxwell Jacob Friedman.
The 23-year-old is on a rocket ship to the moon, and that’s no exaggeration. The guy has already implemented himself well as a modern-day, improved version of John Bradshaw Layfield, and he’s often able to back up his words in the ring, too. There’s an awful lot to like about this kid, and this is just the beginning.
9 Sonny Kiss
Sonny Kiss is opening the door for a whole new wave of people to become fans of professional wrestling, and we’re very much living for that. Sonny has already been rattling people left, right and center, and, of course, the people that have been rattled really don’t know all too much about, well, anything.
Kiss’ story and rise to the top is going to be intriguing to watch, and we’re fascinated to witness what could well prove to be one of the most natural character growths in the history of the business.
8 Jungle Boy
Working alongside the Luchasaurus is the one and only Jungle Boy, better known by many as the son of famous actor Luke Perry. However, while that’s part of his story, that doesn’t even begin to tell you what you need to know regarding this kid’s abilities in the ring.
He has every tool you could possibly need to become an absolute star, and we aren’t even afraid to use that word. Jungle Boy is as entertaining as they come, and, while he may not have won everyone over yet, he will.
7 Allie
Allie has the ability to turn from loving babyface to dastardly heel in the blink of an eye, and that kind of transition is impressive in any and all walks of the business. The girl is a strong in-ring performer, her character skills are impeccable, and it feels like she’s only just getting started.
Allie could quite easily reign supreme as the top female star in All Elite Wrestling for many years to come, and we’re pretty fascinated to see what kind of booking she gets in the early stages of her tenure with the promotion and beyond.
6 Pac
This Geordie lad is quite easily one of the strongest in-ring performers that AEW has on their roster right now, which is funny because we still can’t be all too certain as to what their roster specifically looks likes—especially when it comes to Pac himself.
He’s unpredictable, but, in terms of creating headline-making moments, the former Cruiserweight Champion is your man. As a heel, he tends to either cross or go pretty close to the line more often than not, and that’s the sort of villain that we can all believe in.
5 Kenny Omega
He looks like a superhero, and he plays video games all the time. What more do you need?
Kenny Omega could well be the best wrestler on the face of the planet right now, and that is no understatement. After dominating over in New Japan Pro Wrestling, following years of working his way up through the ranks, he’s now being given the chance to shine back in North America and worldwide.
Whether or not he thrives in this new environment remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: he’s going to put on some truly sensational matches.
4 Kip Sabian
This young Brit possesses every God-given gift that you could ever dream for, which may remind quite a few folks of a modern-day Randy Orton... minus the British part.
He would be fantastic as the underdog fighting from behind, and, after competing in AEW’s first-ever official match, we’d say that he’s off to a fairly good start. Sabian is down to Earth and has a tremendous look, and, when you combine that with his unbelievable skills in the ring, we’re off to the races with something big.
3 Awesome Kong
The funny thing about this entry is that you could argue Awesome Kong already is a mainstream star. The woman formerly known as Kharma during her brief spell with WWE has been lighting it up on the big screen with the Netflix series GLOW, making quite an impact in the process.
She may be moving towards the latter stages of her in-ring career, but it almost seems like a guarantee at this stage that she’s going to be a star on some level. A run with the AEW Women’s Championship seems like a good place to start.
2 Jon Moxley
He’s different, he’s already an established star, and he’s being given the opportunity to show off more of what he can do from a character perspective than when he was with WWE. That all adds up to a pretty exciting version of Jon Moxley, and the world is going to recognize that.
The man is formerly known as Dean Ambrose already seems to have a fantastic edge to his game, and we’re intrigued to see whether or not AEW can properly capitalize on his momentum. After all, he’s quite clearly one of the biggest and best stars in the business right now.
1 Pentagon Jr.
Is there anything that this man cannot do? We don’t think so.
Pentagon Jr. has been tearing it up for years now, and, finally, he’s going to be showcased on the big stage for all to see. While he may currently be focusing on the tag team division, we aren’t convinced that’s going to last for all too much longer, because he’s just such a strong singles star.
It might take a while for AEW to actually pull the trigger on this, but, if and when they do, it’ll be a joy to behold.