One of wrestling’s hottest free agents, Keith Lee has a new wrestling home in AEW.
The former NXT Champion made his surprise debut for Tony Khan’s promotion defeating Isaiah Kassidy in a Face Of The Revolution Qualifying match.
Lee is an incredibly talented performer, who set the indies on fire back in the 2010s with breakout matches against Donovan Dijak, Matt Riddle and Tomohiro Ishii.
It wasn’t a surprise when he ended up NXT before going on to become the brand’s first-ever double champion when he won both the North American and NXT Championships.
Lee then joined WWE’s flagship show, Monday Night RAW in August of last year making an immediate impact when he got in the face of Randy Orton. He then found himself pinning the “Viper” at Payback before getting involved in the WWE Championship scene.
Despite becoming a regular part of the show, Lee’s main roster run was heavily criticized from the start. Everything about him from his entrance music to his ring attire was instantly changed. His booking was confused and momentum halting. Then he was sent back to the Performance Center to improve his in-ring skills being was removed from WWE television for five months.
Upon his return, he was repackaged as Bearcat Keith Lee and then released from WWE in October 2021. The news of his firing sent shockwaves through the industry and will go down as one of the biggest wasted opportunities in WWE history.
After three months away Keith Lee returned to the ring in emphatic fashion on Dynamite. So to celebrate the arrival of the Limitless One to AEW here are five dream matches for Keith Lee in AEW.
5. Will Powerhouse Hobbs
Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs is a match that would tear the house down. Two big, strong, athletic wrestlers clashing in the AEW ring would be a sight to see as the two behemoths fight it out in an epic battle of the big men.
Hobbs is a mean and menacing mountain of muscle who, to this point in his AEW career, hasn’t been fully able to show his true potential. AEW has given us fleeting moments of his raw power and ability, for example, his matches against Dante Martin and CM Punk allowed him to show he can go, but the outcome of his matches hamper any momentum he gains, but against an opponent like Lee it would be a real coming-out party for the member of Team Taz.
An opponent like Lee is something AEW is yet to have at their disposal and they would be wise to pit him against talent such as Hobbs as it would introduce a new era to AEW, the ear of big meaty men slapping meat.
4. Wardlow
Wardlow is running roughshod through his opponents with his sheer brute force and symphony of powerbombs, but he is yet to meet someone like Keith Lee.
Until now Wardlow has been AEW’s largest talent and dominated the much smaller opponents on the roster, but as mentioned above, Lee gifts the promotion with the opportunity of ushering an era of “big man wrestling” but mixed with the indie flair and kudos, which the company constantly dines out on.
Anyone who saw what Lee and Dijak did in PWG and then replicated on NXT can attest to the in-ring magic capable of being created with two big, athletic performers expressing themselves to their fullest.
Wardlow is on the verge of a monster push and as soon as AEW pull the trigger on the inevitable split from MJF he will be rocketed to the top of the card, but to do so he should have to go through Lee first.
3. Hangman Adam Page
Hangman Adam Page is an intense and explosive performer with the full support of the fans behind him. His victories over two of the best wrestlers in the world saw planted at the top of the AEW mountain.
However, something has been missing from Page’s title reign. His short feud with Lance Archer, which resulted in the brutal Texas Death Match, was fun but the result was never in doubt. Keith Lee brings a whole new level threat to Page’s championship reign and in fact the entire company.
Lee and Page have met previously in their PWG days and put on one hell of a match. Lee emerged as the winner of that encounter and could hold over Page’s head if they ever get into a feud, which hopefully happens after Lee inevitably wins the Face Of The Revolution match.
2. Kenny Omega
There simply cannot be an AEW dream match list without the Best Bout Machine. Kenny Omega is a special talent who can mix it up with anyone and give them the match of their career.
Omega is currently out of action while he recuperates from several injuries suffered during what must be one of the greatest five-year runs in wrestling history. Upon his return he finds a new AEW waiting for him. One that features an influx of ex-WWE talent, many of whom were wasted by their former employers and therefore starving to prove themselves within another wrestling promotion.
Keith Lee is the prime example of the new performer heading over to AEW and brings with him a size, style and presence not yet felt in the young promotion. His stature brings forth an obvious challenge to the entire roster, whose explosive and high-octane offensive will not have the desired impact on someone with Lee’s physical attributes.
Watching Omega launch himself into Lee at a high velocity only to be swatted away like a fly before having to counter his otherworldly agile abilities is match that the promotion was created for and would be a wrestling feast for the eyes.
1. Bryan Danielson
The American Dragon is the best wrestler in the world. Since arriving in AEW, Danielson has faced an array of different opponents. His skill shone through as he adapted his style to counter his challenger.
Keith Lee is a combatant like no other. His size and strength make him a formidable adversary, but his agility brings another arsenal of offence to the table. Danielson relies on his in-ring prowess to outthink and out-manoeuvre his opponents, which may work on Lee, but his offence of heavy strikes and submission techniques will take much longer to have an effect on someone on Lee’s size.
Lee offers up a whole new challenge to a performer like Danielson and it will be a pleasure to watch the strategy and battle plan play out in front of the All Elite faithful, who is an audience ravenous for this type of match.
If we do indeed get this match, then it would be one that would establish Lee as a major player while once again proving AEW is the promotion that provides enthralling and must-see-first-time-ever dream matches on their programming.