First things first, keep in mind this list is my opinion and not facts.
10: Adam Cole
Adam Cole has been one of my favorite wrestlers since Ring Of Honor. When he first got to NXT in 2017 I knew he was going to do big things for the Black and Gold brand. With the help of The Undisputed Era Adam Cole was dominant as he would go on to become the first North American Champion, there were no signs of stopping his momentum. Cole would then become NXT Champion in 2019 and held the title for a record-setting 403 days. So, What Happened?
Well with the implosion of the Undisputed Era and his trio of matches with Kyle O'Reilly everyone suspected his time with NXT was up and he was ready to be called up to RAW or Smackdown.
That was not the case as Adam Cole would make his AEW Debut at the All Out event in 2021. Everything about the debut was PERFECT, from the entrance theme to the crowd reaction Cole immediately felt like a huge deal. Cole would go on to reunite with old Bullet Club and Elite Members Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. The debut was a little overshadowed by the immediate debut of Bryan Danielson nonetheless, Adam Cole was a big signing for AEW.
Coles first singles feud was against a big fan favorite in Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy. A lot of fans (myself included) felt that this feud was very lackluster, especially for a guy who Tony Kahn said scared him in the "Wednesday Night Wars". The matches between the two were good but no real story was told during the feud, Cole would unofficially lose the last match between the two but was not counted on his records due to the Lights Out stipulation. Even with the addition of Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly that feud was dead in the water.
Cole would go on to redeem himself by winning the first-ever Owen Hart Cup. Cole was also involved in a small feud with Adam Page for the AEW World Championship but fell short. As of now, Cole is currently recovering from a few injuries and hopefully comes back stronger than before.
9: Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega is one of the most gifted professional wrestlers I have ever watched. His matches with Okada will be talked about and watched for generations to come. So why is Omega only ranked 9? His AEW run has been extremely lackluster up until his feud with Adam Page.
Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed his tag team run with Page, they both put on some wrestling clinics and proved why tag team wrestling is alive and well. We all knew that Omega wasn't going to be in this tag team forever he was destined to be the AEW World Champion.
At Winter Is Coming in 2020 Omega defeated Jon Moxley to finally capture the AEW World Championship, with the help of Don Callis thus turning Omega heel. Omegas entire personality would change as he started cosplaying Triple H from 2005. All jokes aside adding Don Callis with Omega is what ruined him for me, Omega was just fine by himself as the cleaner and we lost all of that when he paired with Callis. Omega would still put on damn good matches even the failure that was the exploding barb wire deathmatch. Omega would then go on to defeat Impact World Champion Rich Swann in a winner takes all match to become the new Impact World Champ, this is where I believed everything would turn around for the better with Omega but it did not do much. One of his best matches was against Christian Cage on Rampage where Cage would take the title off of him. The two met again at All Out in 2021 where Omega successfully defended the AEW World Title in a very good back and forth match. After the match Omega proceeded to send the crowd home which led to the debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson. Bryan Danielson and Omega would start a feud over who was the true best in the world which led to a superb match at Grand Slam which went to a time-limit draw (more on that match later).
Omega would eventually lose the AEW Championship to Hangman Adam Page at Full Gear after a long story finally came to a close between the two former best friends. Omega was wrestling with a bunch of nagging injuries and had to finally take time off and get surgery. As of now, Omegas road to recovery looks to be almost done, my hopes for when he comes back is to be better than ever. Hopefully, we see the return of The Cleaner in AEW.
8: WARDLOW
WARDLOW made his AEW debut in 2020 as the bodyguard of MJF. It took a while for WARDLOW to grow on me personally. I have never been a fan of the one-trick pony-type wrestlers, but WARDLOW quickly became different than that. You could tell he had huge potential with his storytelling and overall freakish strength.
For months on end, WARDLOW had to deal with MJF holding him back from ever accomplishing anything on his own because WARDLOW was under contract for MJF, not AEW. WARDLOW squash matches eventually became a favorite segment of AEW fans. The split with MJF was bound to happen and fans eagerly waited for that moment until it finally happened.
At AEW Revolution WARDLOW would win the Face of The Revolution ladder match thus giving him an opportunity for the TNT Title. Later in the night, it was MJF VS CM Punk in the Dog Collar match, WARDLOW would hand the Dynamite Diamond Ring usually worn by MJF to CM Punk costing MJF the match and finally setting him free from MJF. Within the storyline, Wardlow was not employed by AEW but by MJF, who could stop him from wrestling him or for AEW altogether.
MJF set up stipulations under which he would let him out of the contract, such as being lashed 10 times (MJF really loves doing that doesn't he?) Wardlow beat MJF after hitting him with ten consecutive powerbombs to win the match and was freed of his contract, Wardlow would also earn a new contract which made him an official member of AEW. WARDLOW would go on to defeat Scorpio Sky to become TNT Champion to the huge requests from AEW fans giving him his first title with the company. There are big things in the future for WARDLOW in AEW, the impact he has made already with the connection he has with crowds all over is hard to come by nowadays. Wardlow will be AEW World Champion sooner rather than later.
7: Orange Cassidy
Orange Cassidy is just plain fun to watch. I get the hate from the wrestling purists but just have some fun once in a while. Cassidy has been over with the crowds since the first minute he was there. Despite having his hands in his pockets 70% of the time he still puts on extremely athletic performances. Is he World Champion material? No. Not everything in wrestling is about championships and accolades, Cassidy just wants to have fun and entertain the crowd, and he does a hell of a job doing so.
Cassidy would start his AEW run by joining The Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent) which was good for all members involved as it increased the popularity all around. Cassidy would start his first feud with PAC, PAC didn't like the way Cassidy handled himself meanwhile OC was just making sure his glasses were on right. This would lead to a series of matches between the two, their first match was at Revolution in 2019 where PAC would pick up the win. OC put on a great performance which got praise from fans all around saying that Cassidy was more than just a comedy wrestler.
Cassidy would start another feud with Chris Jericho, Cassidy picked up the biggest win of his career over Jericho on Dynamite after losing to Jericho a few weeks prior at Fyter Fest this would lead to the infamous Mimosa Mayhem Match where you have to throw your opponent in Orange Juice. The match itself was fun and entertaining it would eventually lead to Cassidy picking up a second win over Jericho thus thrusting him higher in the rankings. Cassidy had a few attempts at the TNT Championship but was unsuccessful each time. Cassidy even got an AEW World Title match at Double or Nothing in a three-Way match against Omega and PAC, Cassidy held his own but was unsuccessful.
Cassidy has had a great run so far in AEW it's doing exactly as it was planned to do, OC still gets some of the loudest reactions of the night. At Forbidden Door, OC would go against one of the best wrestlers in the world today Will Ospreay, though unsuccessful this was his big moment where he finally silenced all the doubters who said he couldn't wrestle.
6: Jon Moxley
As of this writing, Moxley is the current Interim AEW World Champion.
Remember when everyone thought Moxley was done after the Stone Cold Podcast? NOT! Ever since Mox stepped foot in AEW he brought something to national TV that we haven't seen in a while and that is a legit psychopath! I get the bloody brutal matches aren't for everyone but hey as long as it's not overdone I LOVE IT!
Moxley was one of the first big names to jump ship from WWE to AEW, During Double or Nothing Moxley made his debut to a loud ovation from fans, Moxley would attack Jericho, Omega, and even some referees in the way. Mox and Omega had a decent-length feud that was riddled with a few injuries along the way but there were some great matches from the two that just felt like they wanted to rip each other apart.
After he feuded with Omega, Moxley declared he was going after the AEW World Championship, this would lead to a bunch of segments between him and then champion Chris Jericho until Moxley won a tournament and finally got his championship opportunity. Moxley would beat Jericho at Revolution becoming the first person to hold an AEW Title and NJPW Title simultaneously. Moxleys title run was fine, it wasn't great and it wasn't bad he defended the title against Jake Hager, Brodie Lee, Darby Allin, and even had a decent feud with MJF. His best feud for me was against Eddie Kingston, those two felt like they genuinely hated each other which makes for compelling drama.
Moxley would lose the championship to Omega at Winter is Coming but that did not slow him down. Later down the line, Mox would eventually enter rehab for alcohol issues and since then has come back better than ever. The Blackpool Combat Club was the perfect reset button for him and now he has the company on his shoulders as he is the Interim AEW World Champion.
5: Bryan Danielson
Is Bryan Danielson the greatest technical wrestler today?
A lot of people will say yes and quite frankly it's hard not to agree with them. Danielson had a career-ending list of injuries and managed to work hard and come back even better than when he left. As much as I enjoyed Daniel Bryan in WWE, Bryan Danielson is even better. Danielson made his official AEW debut at the end of the All Out 2021 event by brawling with The Elite thus making a huge impact right away. Danielson would go on to challenge Omega to a one-on-one match at Grand Slam and boy did it not disappoint! The two men put on an absolute masterpiece that would go the whole 30-minute time limit thus declaring it a draw. Fun fact for Meltzer lovers, this was Danielsons first 5-Star Match, but not his last as He fought Adam Page for the AEW World Championship at Winter Is Coming which despite losing Danielson came out looking like a real star.
Although his time in AEW has not been long Danielson has made quite the impact, everytime he is announced to compete you know he is about to go all out at all costs. Danielson would then go on to feud with Jon Moxley, Danielson wanted to team up with Moxley stating they would be unstoppable but Moxley said he wants to fight Danielson first. Danielson and Mox would square off against each other at Revolution where Mox was victorious. After a grueling match, both men started brawling until they were separated by William Regal, a man who had a huge impact on both their careers. This would lead to the formation of the Blackpool Combat Club which is my new favorite faction in a very long time, especially with the addition of Claudio.
As of now Danielson is currently dealing with an injury and should be back relatively soon, when he comes back I wouldn't be surprised if he immediately goes for the AEW World Championship and proves he is the best technical wrestler in the world.
4: FTR
Now although FTR is a team and not just a superstar it would be impossible not to include them.
FTR is the best tag team in wrestling today! I get it's a bold statement but I never expected a team with such an old-school mindset and moveset to get over today. They took over the tag team division in all of wrestling as of late but it took a while to finally find their groove.
FTR made their AEW debut in 2020 on an episode of Dynamite, they saved The Young Bucks from an after-match attack which would eventually lead to a bunch of different interactions with the Bucks teasing a potential dream match. FTR hosted Tag Team Appreciation Night where they invited Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and The Rock 'n' Roll Express to the show. However, after a scuffle between Tully Blanchard and Ricky Morton, FTR would attack Rock 'n' Roll Express thus turning heel.
FTR would go on to recruit Tully Blanchard as their manager really establishing that old-school style they were going for. At All Out FTR would defeat Adam Page and Kenny Omega to become AEW Tag Team Champions, making them the first team to hold an AEW Tag title and WWE Tag Title. FTR finally got their dream match against The Young Bucks at Full Gear where The Young Bucks defeated them to take the Tag Titles away. FTR would eventually form a short-lived group with MJF, Shawn Spears, and Wardlow known as the Pinnacle but shortly went their separate ways after not agreeing with how MJF handled his business. FTR would then fire Tully Blanchard and go on to capture multiple different Tag Team Championships across the globe.
FTR has put on phenomenal matches within the past year against teams of all different promotions. As of now, FTR is the current ROH Tag Team Champions, AAA Tag Team Champions, and IWGP Tag Team Champions.
3: Adam Page
Oh, Hangman. I've always had a special place in my heart for this beer-drinking, whiskey-loving cowboy.
Adam Page made his AEW debut as a part of the Elite. From day one he was destined to be a big star for AEW, Page won the first ever casino battle royal and a chance to fight Chris Jericho to crown the first AEW World Champion. Chris Jericho would go on to defeat Adam Page thus starting his long journey to get back to the top.
The patience they had with Hangman before putting the World title on him was damn near perfection! The story was executed perfectly from forming a tag team with Omega and eventually breaking up then finally getting his big World Title rematch this time against former Tag Partner Omega. Page beating Omega for the AEW World Championship was the culmination of his year-long journey that brought legit tears to wrestling fans' eyes. His run as AEW Champion was filled with fantastic matches and promos that quite frankly don't get enough credit. The crowd was always behind him no matter what and he consistently got the loudest reactions of the night off his entrance alone. His wrestling style is entertaining and quick-paced enough to where it doesn't feel too rushed or too slow. In the end, it just felt like there wasn't enough trust in him to go out and do his thing. As of now, Adam Page is scratching for another opportunity to become AEW World Champion.
2: MJF
Does MJF even know what a filter is?
MJF is one of the best heels there's been in a very long time, MJF is a straight-up MENACE to society and I love it. MJF made his AEW debut in 2019 and was destined for big things, he made it to the final two in the Casino Battle Royal but was eliminated by Adam Page. After Double or Nothing, 2019 MJF would go on an impressive undefeated streak until eventually losing to Jon Moxley in an AEW World Title match.
Every time MJF goes out in front of a crowd he knows how to make you FEEL. MJF knows how to piss off 20-40 thousand people at a time, that's talent right there! MJF is also a very underappreciated wrestler, if you want to watch just how good he is I suggest watching his match against Darby Allin at Full Gear because MJF showed everyone he is the future of AEW. I mean what kind of scumbag wins a match with a side-headlock-takedown?
MJF would eventually start a feud with CM Punk which was filled with creative twists and turns throughout, both men would go to war on the mic with each other for a few weeks before eventually fighting each other. In the end, CM Punk would go over MJF but MJF also beat Punk in Chicago, talk about heat brother! Now let's talk about the pipebomb. The MJF pipebomb had my jaw stuck on the floor, it's very rare to get pulled into something that feels real nowadays in wrestling but man did that feel real. MJF went out and was upset because he feels he should be making more money than all the "ex-WWE" guys Tony Khan has been signing and proceeds to scream at Tony Kahn to fire him (with lots of censoring). It was the true moment I saw MJF as not just a Superstar but a Mega-Star,
As of now, MJF is still not on AEW but I expect to see him sooner rather than later and would not be surprised if they make him World Champion immediately.
1: CM PUNK
This is where my bias starts to show. Sorry.
Before leaving professional wrestling in 2014 Punk was one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, I was devastated when he left and even more hurt when he said " I will never return to wrestling again" all hope was lost, and rumors flew like crazy every year but his answer remained the same. Eventually Punk would come back to the wrestling world in 2019 for WWE Backstage, it was not the same as hearing him cut a promo on someone or putting someone to sleep.
In 2021 rumors were swirling that CM Punk had signed to AEW and fans were going crazy at the thought of it all for Punk to shut down the rumors. AEW would announce a new show called Rampage First Dance in Chicago, rumors got so crazy that even I bought a ticket to see if the impossible was gonna happen. The arena was packed and full of CM Punk signs and chants, the feeling in the air was magical, before the show started Tony Kahn appeared and was very excited while he told us all "We're going to give you all a night you will never forget", Rampage opens up the crowd is going insane chanting for CM Punk then... IT HAPPENED, Cult of Personality started to play and the roof blew off the place, legit tears around the entire audience, it was a true moment in professional wrestling I will never forget, plus we got free ice cream bars!
Punk would go on to have a great match with Darby Allin at All Out showing he still has gas in the tank. Punk was on a roll for a while until his feud with MJF, MJF and Punk battled it out in a war of words and a war of dog collars. Punk VS MJF is one of if not my favorite rivalry of the modern era filled with creative twists and turns which would eventually lead to Punk finally challenging for the AEW World Championship. At Double or Nothing, CM Punk would defeat Adam Page to become AEW World Champion in what was a very emotional rollercoaster for all CM Punk fans around. Unfortunately, CM Punk injured his foot and had to step away to get it fixed but as of now is still the AEW World Champion.