A few months ago, the thought of one of the founding fathers of AEW, Cody Rhodes jumping to WWE seemed unthinkable. History has taught us however, that in the world of professional wrestling, you can never say never. As Chris Jericho summarised perfectly on The Kurt Angle Show, Cody will certainly not be the last big name to leave the company.
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some other AEW talents that could make the jump to WWE.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF)
Let’s start with the most obvious and outspoken shall we? For the last few months, rumours have circulated regarding tension between the outspoken star from Long Island and AEW boss Tony Khan. Fans are unsure what’s part of the gimmick and what’s real, but MJF has gone as far as to frequently praise WWE talent, management figures such as Bruce Prichard and even said he’s leaning towards an AEW exit.
Tony Khan has been relatively quiet on the situation leading to fan speculation that this tirade of praise for his employers rival is not just a work. With MJF reportedly under contract until 2024, Khan has some time to try and tempt the leader of The Pinnacle to stay with the company that made him a star.
Brian Cage
When Brian Cage was signed by AEW, the future looked bright for the former Impact Wrestling World Champion, immediately cementing his place as the number one contender for the AEW World Championship in his Casino Ladder Match debut. Fast forward to early 2022 and Cage hadn’t appeared in a televised match for AEW since the previous October. In a glimmer of hope, Cage was revealed to be the latest client of Tully Blanchard in Tony Khan’s new incarnation of Ring Of Honor as well as AEW have picking up the option to extend his contract for another year.
That being said, whilst Cage told the ‘Going Broadway Podcast’ he believes there is a plan for his return, ultimately he said “I guess I’ll wait and see”. Cage’s next movements will likely depend on how this option year unfolds. Whilst WWE are in favour of a younger roster, Cage may be able to fly under the radar at 38 given his experience, impressive physique and extensive in-ring resume.
Jade Cargill
Jade Cargill is everything that WWE look for in a superstar. Which is why it’s so surprising that they dropped the ball on the opportunity to sign this star athlete back in 2019. Since her debut on the November 11th, 2020 episode of Dynamite, Cargill has displayed a unique charisma and confidence, impressive athleticism and possesses arguably one of, if not the best physique in all of professional wrestling.
Of all the stars on AEW’s impressive roster, Cargill has to be near the top of WWE’s acquisition list. Whilst Tony Khan signed Cargill to a multi-year contract, Jade has made it no secret that she is in the game of pursuing the highest level of professional and financial success. Time will tell if Khan is willing to provide the big money offer required to keep Cargill from defecting at the end of her contract.
FTR
For months now, rumours have circulated regarding WWE’s desire to bring FTR back after their contracts reportedly expire with AEW at the end of this summer.
On The Sessions with Renee Paquette, Dax Hardwood acknowledge that he had seen the rumours and whilst he was flattered, that the team would not discuss potential contract offers with rival promotions whilst under contract to Khan.
Whilst loyalty is commendable, it seemed like the diplomatic answer given that it is standard for talents to not be able to negotiate whilst locked in a current contract. Harwood did not rule out speaking to a competitor after their contract expires, thus effectively giving the current contract holder the ‘right of first refusal’ to stay before testing the free market.
That being said, Dax Harwood did have the following to say on the situation during the podcast:
“I think we know about as much as everyone else does,” Dax said. “We left that place because they didn’t put a focus on tag team wrestling and we knew there was a ceiling to where we could go in the company. We wanted to do more, we wanted to be known as the greatest tag team of all time and we had to leave there to do that. We knew that and that’s why we were so persistent on them giving us our releases.
Then I started thinking do they want us or do they want AEW to not have us? It’s cool for Cody to do what he has done but there’s just so many unknowns there. Would they ever be able to focus on tag team wrestling like we’ve been able to the last few years? Money is not everything for us, I do have a family so I could take care of them but it’s not all about the money, it’s about what we leave behind for wrestling too.”
Shortly after this interview with Paquette, reports stated that WWE had ‘no interest in bringing back FTR, so it is unclear what WWE’s interest level actually is.
Currently, it seems that FTR are extremely creatively satisfied with AEW and it will be no surprise if they re-sign. Although, in the world of professional wrestling the word never is rarely used for a reason, and WWE’s desires for signing talent can change drastically from week to week. Only time will tell if FTR are in their sights.
Chris Jericho
Yes, Jericho is 100% committed to Tony Khan and AEW. But that’s exactly what a contracted professional wrestler should be; loyal to the contract they have been paid to fulfil.
When it comes to being over at the top for the long haul, there is arguably no one that compares to Jericho, with some of his best work and highest rated matches in what would usually be the twilight stages of anyone else’s career. This is in large part due to Jericho’s abilities, but also due to his knack of making the right career moves at the right time, to best position himself for critical and commercial success.
It’s easy to forget that Jericho once held the belief and principle that he would never wrestle for another promoter due to his loyalty to Vince McMahon. However, Jericho’s creative dissatisfaction, particularly with his Wrestlemania 33 treatment boiled to such a point that stints with New Japan and then AEW quickly became what was best for business.
Having gone against what seemed like a certainty before, would it be that difficult to envision a scenario where Jericho was to have one more big run with ‘New York’ before wrapping up an unparalleled and legendary career?