Predicting the Next AEW Superstar to Jump to WWE After ...

However, it wasn't until Cody Rhodes announced his abrupt departure from AEW at the onset of 2022 and eventually returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 that the ... PredictingtheNextAEWSuperstartoJumptoWWEAfterCodyRhodes0of6Credit:WWE.comItwasalmostexactlythreeyearsagothatthefirstshotwasfiredinthebattlefortalentbetweenWWEandAllEliteWrestlingwhenJonMoxleyshockinglyshowedupattheendofthelatterpromotion'sdebutpay-per-view,DoubleorNothing.Sincethen,AEWhasaddedanimmenseamountoftalenttoitsranks,specificallynameswhoarebestknownfortheirsuccessinWWE.BryanDanielson,AdamCole,FTR,ToniStormandRubySohoareamongthosewhofallintothatcategory.However,itwasn'tuntilCodyRhodesannouncedhisabruptdeparturefromAEWattheonsetof2022andeventuallyreturnedtoWWEatWrestleMania38thatthegametrulychanged.Thatmomentmarkedthefirsttimeanotablenamefromthenewercompanyjumpedshiptojointherivalpromotion.Rhodeswillbefarfromthelasttoptalenttoswitchcompanies,andit'sgoingtocontinuetohappenonbothendsaslongasthecompetitionremainsstrong.Regardlessofwhoorwhereitis,fansareboundtobenefiteverytimebecauseitkeepsthewrestlinglandscapefreshandexciting.ButwhowillbethenextAEWstandouttofollowinthefootstepsofTheAmericanNightmareandmoveovertoWWE?MJF(MaxwellJacobFriedman)1of6Credit:AllEliteWrestlingMJFhasbeenahottopicofconversationamongfanslatelyduetothemanyreportsregardingwhat'sbeengoingonbehindthesceneswithhiminAEW.The26-year-oldhasbeenveryvocalabouthiscurrentcontractexpiringinearly2024.That'sbecauseheknowshe'llbeahighlysought-afterfreeagentandwilllandabigmoneydealwithwhatevercompanyhechooses.AEWwaswisetoincorporateallofhisongoingcontractdramaintohison-screencharacterandallowhimtoairhisgrievancesontelevisionlastweekonDynamite.Itwasoneofthemostbuzzworthypromosinrecentwrestlinghistoryandinstantlymadehimabiggerstarthanhealreadywas.Therewereplentyofpartsofthatworkedshootthatwouldn'tflyintoday'sWWE,butthatdoesn'tmeanhewouldflopwithoutalloftheobscenities.Infact,MJF'scurrentcharacterwouldbetailor-madefortheVinceMcMahon-helmedpromotion;andwiththerightpush,he'swellawarehecouldbeprominentlyfeaturedonRaworSmackDownfromtheget-go.AlthoughMJFtoWWEisarealpossibility,itobviouslywouldn'tbeforanother19monthsattheearliestunlesssomesortofdealisreachedforhimtobeletoutofhiscontractbeforethen.RickyStarks2of6Credit:AllEliteWrestlingFunfact:RickyStarkswasofferedaWWEdealthesamedayhedebutedonAEWDynamiteinJuly2020,perhisinterviewwithChrisVanVlietlaterthatyear.Ofcourse,hesignedonthedottedlinewithAEWandhasn'tlookedback.Itwasmind-bogglingthatWWEshowednointerestinsecuringthe32-year-oldsoonerconsideringhehadmomentumfollowinghisrunwiththeNWAinearly2020.Thatsaid,hehasmadehimselfanevenbiggerstarwithhisrecentruninAEWoverthepasttwoyears.DespitereigningastheFTWchampionsincelastJuly(forwhateverthat'sworth),Starkshasn'tdonemuchofnoteasoflate.HeandPowerhouseHobbshavedoneanexcellentjobofrepresentingTeamTazandhavewonderfulchemistryasateam,butit'shightimeAEWdidsomethingsignificantwithStarksonhisown.ItwouldbeinitsbestinteresttoretiretheFTWtitleandtransitionStarkstotheTNTChampionshippicture.UnderutilizinghimanylongercouldpavethewayforhimtojourneytoWWEandjointhemanwhogothimhiredinAEWinthefirstplace:CodyRhodes.StarksisskilledandcharismaticenoughtoflourishinWWE,nomatterthebrand.TayConti3of6Credit:AllEliteWrestlingIt'salmosteasytoforgetTayContiwrestledforWWEundertheNXTbanner.Infact,shewassignedbythepromotionwaybackinOctober2016despitenothavinganypriorwrestlingexperience.The26-year-oldtookpartintheinauguralMaeYoungClassicinthesummerof2017andshowedsignsofpotentialduringhertimeasaregularonNXTTVbutwasrandomlyreleasedinApril2020.Itwasn'tlongaftershewaspickedupbyAEWandbecameanimmediatefanfavorite.Herlasttwoyearshaveseenhergrownleapsandboundsasaperformer,butshe'sfallenshortwheneverithasmatteredmost.Whetherit'sbeenchallengingfortheAEWWomen'sWorldChampionshiportheAEWTBSChampionship,shehasyettobebookedtowinthebigone.ContiandSammyGuevaraareanaturalheelpairingfornow,butthatwillsoonrunitscourse,andshe'lllikelybebacktobeingpositionedasasteppingstoneforeitherofthewomen'stitles.HerstockhasgrownexponentiallysinceshewaslastinWWEandthusshe'dbeslottedmuchhigherinthedivisionifsheweretoreturn.Itmaynotbeintheimmediatefuture,butConticouldwindupbackinWWEbeforelongtoshowthecompanywhatitmissedoutonoriginally.AndradeElIdolo4of6Credit:AllEliteWrestlingSimilartoTayConti,AndradeElIdolo'stenureinWWEalsoendedinless-than-stellarcircumstances.Granted,the32-year-oldrequestedhisreleaseandhaditgranted,butthat'sonlybecauseWWEhadhimdoingnothingforanumberofmonthspriortothatpoint.Hewastootalentedtobecastasideanylongeranditwascommendablethathedecidedtocontrolhisdestinybyleavingofhisownaccord.Unfortunately,hisAEWrunsofarhasn'texactlyliveduptoexpectations.He'shadqualitymatcheswitheveryonefromPACandCodyRhodestoDarbyAllinandSammyGuevara,buthisbookinghasbeenallovertheplace.ThepromotioncanstillsalvagehischaracterthroughhisnewfoundpairingwithRush,butifthatfails,areturntoWWEmaynotbeoutofthequestion.SometimesittakesatalentleavingforWWEtorealizehowvaluabletheyactuallyare.Andradecouldbethenextcaseofthat,andwithwifeCharlotteFlairstillastapleofthewomen'sdivision,hemayfinallybeabletofulfillhispotentialatatimewhenWWEcouldusemorecompetitorsofhiscaliber.SantanaandOrtiz5of6Credit:AllEliteWrestlingThere'snodenyingtagteamwrestlingismuchmoreofaprioritytoAEWthanitistoWWE.TheunificationoftheRawandSmackDowntitlesafewweeksagowaslargelyduetothedivisionlackingseriousdepth.That'sexactlywhyatandemsuchasSantanaandOrtizcouldmakeanimmediateimpactthererightnowandactuallyfindsuccess.It'snotasifthey'vecomeanywhereclosetowinningtheAEWWorldTagTeamChampionshipsincesigningwiththepromotionin2019.Theyreceivedonetitleshotin2021andhaveyettobeputbackinthemix.They'rebetterthanthat,andtheirrecentrivalrywithChrisJerichoandtherestofTheJerichoAppreciationSocietyhasbeenatotalwasteoftheirtime.Iftheysignedthree-yeardealswithAEWinthesummerof2019,theircontractscouldbeexpiringsoon.TheyshouldatleastconsidermakingthejumptoWWEwheretheycouldhavegreatmatcheswiththelikesofTheNewDay,TheStreetProfitsandTheUsos.ChrisJericho6of6Credit:AllEliteWrestlingForallthetrash-talkinghedoesabouthisformeremployeronTV,ChrisJerichoreturningtohishomeofWWEisinevitable.Interestingly,the51-year-oldwasthefirstmajormainstreamnametobesignedtoAEWinJanuary2019.HewaswiselypositionedasthefaceofthepromotionforthefirstyearandhadanentertainingreignastheinauguralAEWworldchampion.HisAEWrunpeakedatthatpointandnothinghe'sdonesincehascomeclosetotoppingit.Tohiscredit,he'sattemptedtoelevateasmuchtalentaspossible(InnerCircle,JerichoAppreciationSociety,OrangeCassidy,MJF,EddieKingstontonameafew),buthisstorylinesarelargelyuninterestingandhismatchestendtobehitormiss.OnelaststintinWWEmakesthemostsense,especiallyifhebringshishitsong,"Judas,"withhimashisentrancemusic.WiththesurplusoftalentAEWhasatthemoment,Jerichowouldn'tbeabigloss,andhe'dhaveafreshcoatofpaintandplentyofnewopponentstoworkwithinWWE.MuchlikeCodyRhodesbeforehewentbacktoWWE,Jerichosimplydoesn'tfitthecurrentvibeofwhatAEWisgoingforandwouldbemuchmoreofanassettothecompanyhespenttwodecadesofhiscareerin.GrahamMirmina,akaGraham"GSM"Matthews,hasspecializedinsportsandentertainmentwritingsince2010.Visithiswebsite,WrestleRant,andsubscribetohisYouTubechannelformorewrestling-relatedcontent.🚨SPORTSNEWS➡️YOURINBOXThelatestinthesportsworld,emaileddaily.JoinNewsletterMaybelaterX