AEW: 5 Wrestlers Who Should Become Interim World Champion (& 5 That Shouldn't)

With newly crowned All Elite Wrestling World Champion CM Punk sidelined due to a broken foot requiring surgery, the door has been opened for other AEW wrestlers to make their presence known in the AEW World Championship picture. A battle royal has been set for the 8th of June edition of Dynamite to determine who will face Jon Moxley in the main event.

The winner of that main event will then challenge for the interim AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door on June 26th, against the victor of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Hirooki Goto at the Dominion event. Which wrestlers deserve the opportunity to become interim champion, and which should not be considered at all?

10 Shouldn't: Hirooki Goto

Hirooki Goto is an exceptional wrestler among NJPW's ranks with a litany of classic matches. But, he lacks the stardom and character work that would be crucial in crowning an interim champion for AEW. The result for his match with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Dominion also seems highly predictable considering Tanahashi challenged Punk only days before it was revealed Punk was injured. Goto is a fantastic talent that epitomizes strong style in Japan, but it is clear that he is not being seriously considered for the position of interim AEW World Champion nor should he be.

9 Should: Hiroshi Tanahashi

This seems an obvious choice given his likely position in the championship match opposite AEW's number one contender at Forbidden Door, with Tanahashi's stardom radiating both in Japan and the United States.

While some viewers may argue that placing the interim championship on another veteran will be counterintuitive to AEW's goal, to see Tanahashi win and then face off against AEW's very best such as CM Punk is too tantalizing to look past.

8 Shouldn't: Adam Cole

Given Tanahashi's immense popularity, there may be a desire to place him against a heel at Forbidden Door in order to keep a classic good vs bad dynamic. Adam Cole is far and away AEW's most reputable heel at the moment, especially after emerging victorious in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. Yet, he unsuccessfully challenged only a few months ago for the championship and to thrust him back into the championship picture would feel rushed. This seems logical but would be ultimately underwhelming, particularly crowning Cole as champion which would feel even more rushed.

7 Should: 'Hangman' Adam Page

Some viewers may argue that 'Hangman' Adam Page has had his time in the limelight, and to place him right back into the AEW World Championship scene would do more harm than good. But seeing Page conquer not only Jon Moxley, but then Hiroshi Tanahashi at Forbidden Door to reclaim his championship would be a monumental moment.

A re-match between Punk and Page could then be set to determine once and for all who the true champion is. This would be an incredibly enticing angle if AEW were to pursue it.

6 Shouldn't: Miro

Miro made his return to AEW on the most recent edition of Dynamite, toppling Johnny Elite with ease in a dominant victory. Asserting himself as a force to be reckoned with once more, this is a smart move by AEW building him back up with victories over the coming weeks or months. What would be an unwise move is to propel him straight into the AEW World Championship picture as a main-event star. There needs to be a gradual re-integration of Miro into the fold in general, and it would feel far too immediate crowning Miro interim champion.

5 Should: PAC

This would be a controversial move given PAC's position on the card as of late, mostly being featured in multi-man tag matches with little story behind them. But PAC has proven time and time again that he is a tremendous talent both in the ring and as a character. Propelling him into the AEW World Championship picture out of the blue would be incredibly exciting, and subsequently crowning him champion would be even more enthralling. A match between PAC and Tanahashi would surely be a show stealer, as well as being unexpected and unpredictable which is something the main event picture could require in AEW at this point.

4 Shouldn't: Samoa Joe

While Samoa Joe's AEW run has been very strong so far, once again it would be presumptuous to place him in the AEW World Championship picture and particularly to crown him interim champion.

Although a rekindling of the famous Joe vs Punk rivalry would be exciting on paper, it would seem too predictable with Punk going over and with both men much older it would be a highly difficult task to live up to the expectations placed before them. AEW would be wise to keep building Joe as a threat for months to come and only then consider placing him in the main event scene.

3 Should: MJF

MJF AEW Dynamite February 23rd emotional promo in rivalry with CM Punk

This is a no-brainer given the hold MJF has on the wrestling world at the moment after his jaw-dropping pipebomb on the 1st of June edition of Dynamite. Easily the hottest star in AEW at the moment, MJF is ready to make the ascent into both the main event and the AEW World Championship scene. His rivalry with CM Punk earlier this year was simply incredible and rekindling it with the World Championship involved would lead to more masterful work from both men.

2 Shouldn't: Jon Moxley

Some viewers will argue this is controversial with Moxley being the clear front-runner for not only the match at Forbidden Door but the victor of the interim championship itself. However, while Moxley is clearly a main event star within AEW and had a tremendous run with the championship in 2020, there are smarter and less predictable options to go with here. While it is a safe bet for a great match against Tanahashi (or Goto) and a stellar moment if Moxley wins, AEW should aim to shock and excite rather than deliver the expected outcome.

1 Should: Eddie Kingston

Eddie Kingston in the ring during match for AEW

Eddie Kingston is a star and continues to prove such on a weekly basis with his incredible matches, promos, and character work. While he is currently embroiled in a feud with the Jericho Appreciation Society, propelling Kingston into the main event scene and crowning him interim champion would be a truly spectacular moment. Viewers have seen he can work with the best of them (recently wrestling a classic with NJPW's Tomohiro Ishii), and audiences far and wide continue to show their overwhelming support for Kingston. Given his amazingly heated feud and match with CM Punk late last year, rekindling such with the AEW World Championship would lead to a simply tremendous story.