5 AEW Wrestlers That Could Be Bigger Stars

AEW has had a pretty good first year overall, managing to put the spotlight on some unique forms of wrestling and some fresh stars for rabid fans to sink their teeth into. Formerly unknown wrestlers like Darby Allin, Private Party and Jurassic Express have all become huge attractions in the eyes of the fan looking for something new and exciting, although there’s also been a good chunk of the AEW roster who have been left to flounder, waiting for their big moment.

Realistically, there’s no way that every single member of the AEW roster can be given TV time. Surely, everyone’s time will come if the AEW writers are serious about giving out more opportunities than some other wrestling entertainment companies, but, for now, we can run down 5 AEW wrestlers that could be bigger stars than they are.

We base this entirely on either their previous work in other independent promotions or whatever they’ve managed to accomplish on episodes of Dynamite/AEW pay-per-views throughout their debut year. Not everyone is destined to be a massive star in the wrestling world, but quite frankly, these wrestlers should at least be given the chance.

 

1. Jimmy Havoc

‘The King of the Goths’ became a megastar of the British indie scene throughout the 2010s. Havoc dominated the early years of PROGRESS Wrestling as both their top babyface and heel. After winning the PROGRESS Championship (which was a massive staff at the time), Havoc embarked on a reign of terror that has since gone down as one of, if not the greatest PROGRESS Championship reign in history. Havoc bled buckets for the BritWres fans and has rightfully been snapped up by AEW after many years of service.

Havoc has sporadically appeared on AEW TV, facing big stars like Darby Allin, Sonny Kiss and even ‘Hangman’ Adam Page during their initial few shows. For the majority of those matches, Havoc has taken the L, slowly diminishing his presence to being glorified enhancement talent.

Havoc has recently entered into the tag scene alongside friend and fellow BritWres attraction, Kip Sabian. Now named the ‘Superbad Death Squad’ they seek to take over the tag division as the year unfolds. Although we’re concerned that this might not be enough to make him the star villain that he has the potential to become in AEW.

 

2. Wardlow

Having had no prior experience of watching the beastly Wardlow competing in the squared circle, I had no expectations for him when he first emerged as MJF’s heater. Since his debut against Cody Rhodes in AEW’s first Cage match, I’ve genuinely been shocked at how fantastic Wardlow is in between the ropes and how much potential the big man has as a future headliner for the new brand.

Super heavyweight competitors have recently become a much bigger deal than they have been in recent years. Long gone are the days of sluggish Big Show matches, now we’re witnessing the likes of Keith Lee defy typical conventions and put on some instant classics that stand up there with the most flashy Cruiserweights. Wardlow fits into the same bracket of superstar that could easily wow audiences with his diverse move-set and abilities.

At this point, I see Wardlow getting a little comfortable as MJF’s henchmen and skirting opportunities of breaking out in his own right. So far, fans have been impressed by his exhibitions on AEW Dark, but should he be being put on a bigger platform to show off his stuff?

 

3. Awesome Kong

What the heck happened to Awesome Kong in AEW? Well, a pretty shoddy storyline involving voodoo and Brandi Rhodes. Thanks to The Nightmare Collective, all momentum for Awesome Kong was brought to a crushing halt, despite her being one of the most hyped female stars on the AEW roster.

Kong has become a massive worldwide star thanks to her efforts at establishing the TNA Knockouts division and subsequent runs as Kharma in WWE and her work in Netflix’s GLOW series. This is definitely something that AEW should be taking advantage of.

Brandi teased that Awesome Kong was to become the top star of the Women’s division, but failed to ever live up to the promise of a hoss-off with Nyla Rose or even a clash of styles against someone like Riho or Britt Baker. Here’s hoping we see Kong make it back onto AEW TV sometime in the near future. There’s so much for her left to accomplish in the world of wrestling.

 

4. Shawn Spears

Remember that 10 guy from NXT? Yeah he was once a big get for AEW and someone that was shoe-horned as a future contender for the AEW Championship. Since losing to his former BFF Cody, Spears has fallen down the card into obscurity, despite being given a pretty credible manager in Tully Blanchard. You’d think AEW would be making the most out of Spears’ namesake, considering how much screen-time they’ve given to the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley and Brodie Lee, all former WWE stars in their own right.

Spears could easily start generating the same popularity that he received in NXT/WWE. His ‘Perfect 10’ gimmick was a lot of fun for the fans to engage with, but since turning heel and adopting the ‘Chairman’ gimmick, which doesn’t really make much sense since the whole blood-feud with Cody, he hasn’t really gone anywhere.

Perhaps it’s too late for Shawn Spears to become a big star in the company, but there’s nothing stopping them from at least trying. Surely the former Horseman will be able to get him over from the sidelines.

 

5. MJF

Quite possibly the best heel in the business today, MJF has floundered on the scene since losing to former BFF Cody at the last pay-per-view, I’m sensing a theme here. Maxwell Jacob Friedman is claiming to be out with some sort of injury during the pandemic downtime, which would confirm why AEW haven’t been making the most of his newfound hatred, but if this isn’t legit then someone needs to have a word. This man is money.

MJF could easily become the top guy in the company, similar to how Jimmy Havoc took PROGRESS by the horns during his run, dastardly heels can sometimes become bigger stars than even the most beloved babyfaces on the roster. I see massive potential for ‘The Salt of the Earth’ to become one of the most talked about guys in the industry just based on how he ridicules his fans online and how he’s able to cheat his way to the top in the ring.

Once again, this man is money. Use him.