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AEW was the promotion where CM Punk made his emotional return to pro wrestling after more than seven years away from the business.
The Straight Edge Superstar's time with the company was short yet eventful. He won the AEW Championship twice and had an outstanding rivalry with MJF. It all fell apart in the end due to the events of Brawl Out and All In Wembley.
To the surprise of fans, Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series 2023, following in the footsteps of former AEW EVP Cody Rhodes. Could we see other current All Elite Wrestling stars jump to WWE now that they've seen the success of their ex-colleagues?
We narrowed down four AEW wrestlers who could benefit from CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Jade Cargill.
#4. Former TNT Champion Wardlow
Wardlow has been one of the most misused stars in AEW despite winning the TNT Championship multiple times and being in one of the company's top heel groups in the Undisputed Kingdom.
Most All Elite Wrestling fans would have forgotten his World Championship loss to former titleholder Samoa Joe at Dynamite: Big Business a few months back. Truth be told, he has never regained his momentum since he feuded with MJF back in 2022. That was a culmination of a well-received storyline where Wardlow went from being the Salt of the Earth's bodyguard lackey to one of the hottest rising stars in the business.
It's a shame Tony Khan couldn't capitalize on his organic popularity, and he has been floundering ever since. Perhaps Wardlow needs a change of scenery, and WWE could be just the solution. CM Punk has previously worked with the 36-year-old star in All Elite Wrestling, and he could pursue the wrestler to join the Stamford-based promotion.
#3. Former FTW Champion Ricky Starks
Since losing the AEW Tag Team Championship, Ricky Starks has essentially disappeared from television. He last wrestled on Collision in late March. Rumors have been circulating that his contract ends soon, which could pave the way for a move to WWE.
The former FTW Champion is known to be close friends with the current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, having even appeared backstage at WWE PLEs to support The American Nightmare.
He also shares a great relationship with CM Punk. The Chicago native advocated extensively for Starks, pushing for him to be featured on Collision and even putting him over in the finals of last year's Owen Hart Cup championship.
Starks's potential is undeniable, and he could thrive in an environment like NXT before eventually joining the WWE's main roster.
#2. Former AEW Tag Team Champions FTR
FTR is no stranger to WWE, having gained prominence in NXT when Triple H was in charge of the brand.
While Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler are multi-time AEW Tag Team Champions, they have been the victims of stop-start pushes and questionable bookings. Despite their success, the duo should arguably be bigger.
Given their close friendship with Punk and Triple H at the helm of creative, the duo might return to WWE for a main roster run.
#1. Former AEW Trios Champion Malakai Black
Malakai Black's booking in All Elite Wrestling has been curious. He debuted to great fanfare in 2021, attacking Cody Rhodes.
While he was initially primed to be pushed as a singles star, he eventually formed the House of Black with Buddy Matthews, Brody King, and Julia Hart.
With the stable's menacing presence and outstanding bouts, Black barely wrestled in singles matches or had a memorable rivalry to elevate himself up the card.
The House of Black had an outstanding Trios Match with CMFTR on an episode of Collision shortly before Punk departed from the company. It's a shame Malakai and Punk never had a one-on-one feud that could have skyrocketed his name to the main event.
All signs point to a future showdown between Adam Copeland and Malakai Black for the TNT Championship. However, could it be a case of too little too late? It would take a humongous effort to reheat the former NXT Champion to the point that he can be a massive threat to the Rated-R Superstar.
If he doesn't win the title, perhaps it's time to return to WWE and get a fair main roster run opportunity with Triple H, which he never got as Aleister Black.
