AEW has done an exceptional job of establishing their titles as important and prestigious since their inception. The AEW World Championship has only been held by three men with each champion leaving their own legacy. Chris Jericho was the first champion and a marketable, known name to introduce their main title. Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega have each elevated the title from that point on.
The TNT Championship has been a welcome addition to the wrestlers having a new goal to aim for. Cody Rhodes did an excellent job as the inaugural champ with his open challenges that introduced new stars to the company. His feud with Brodie Lee gave the late leader of Dark Order a star-making moment and a classic AEW Dynamite bout.
Darby Allin put the title on another level and was in the main event of multiple AEW Dynamite episodes. His time with the TNT Championship not only gave him the main stage, but many other stars for All Elite Wrestling. Miro has done great work with his God's Favorite Champion persona and is looking to continue building the legend of TNT Champions.
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As we reach the halfway point of 2021, it should be very intriguing on who will be the next wrestlers to win gold in All Elite Wrestling. In this article, let's take a look at five AEW stars who could win either the AEW World Championship or TNT Championship before the end of 2021.
#5 Sammy Guevara - AEW TNT Championship
Since the beginning of All Elite Wrestling, Sammy Guevara has been pegged as one of the company's future stars. Following his breakout performance against MJF in the main event of the June 30th AEW Dynamite, it seems like "The Spanish God" is destined for bigger and better things.
With a dominant Miro as the current TNT Champion, a young babyface should be the one to finally dethrone God's Favorite Champion. Sammy Guevara has proven to have a style that makes him a natural fan favorite. The Inner Circle vs. The Pinnacle feud has elevated him up the card. A logical next step would be for championship gold.
The style clash between Miro and Sammy Guevara should prove to make for a very entertaining TNT Championship bout. After coming up short against MJF, Sammy Guevara needs to gain some wins to climb the singles rankings in AEW. If he wants to be known as "The Best Ever", winning a title from a monster like Miro would help in that quest.
#4 Jungle Boy - AEW TNT Championship
Speaking of young stars in AEW, fans will always bring up Jungle Boy. The Jurassic Express member has made a name for himself in All Elite Wrestling. After his heartbreaking loss against AEW World Champion Kenny Omega in a terrific main event, the future looks bright.
Miro has proven in his TNT Championship matches against Darby Allin, Dante Martin and Brian Pillman Jr. that he has a strong chemistry with plucky underdog babyfaces. One of the best underdogs in All Elite Wrestling has been Jungle Boy for quite some time.
Jungle Boy has seen his stock rise to new heights throughout 2021. Starting the year with a huge win over Dax Harwood of FTR, the first AEW star to reach 50 wins has made a lot of naysayers quiet. His victory in the Casino Battle Royale at Double Or Nothing not only got him an AEW World Championship opportunity, but also helped him to gain the respect and friendship of Christian Cage.
The next step in Jungle Boy's progression is a big title win. Miro and Jungle Boy seem like a pay-per-view quality affair that only AEW can provide. Whether it's on a major show or as a Dynamite main event, it just seems like a matter of time before these two stars meet. When they do, it could finally be the career win that fans of Jungle Boy have been waiting for.
#3 Andrade El Idolo - AEW TNT Championship
Andrade El Idolo is one of the newest stars to come from WWE to AEW in 2021. The former NXT Champion hasn't set the world on fire since his debut on the Dynamite following Double Or Nothing. Some fans have been critical of his presentation and his association with Vickie Guerrero. However, there is no denying of the talent of the self proclaimed "Face of Latinos".
Andrade has already set his sights on the champions of All Elite Wrestling in his first sit-down interview with Jim Ross. Although he has a showdown set with AEW World Champion Kenny Omega for his AAA Mega Championship, the TNT Championship would be fitting for a first title shot for the former WWE United States Champion.
Whether it be against Miro or one of the previously mentioned contenders, Andrade El Idolo has shown in the past to be the type of workhorse that fits as the secondary champ. He has won the US gold in WWE as well as the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in NJPW. This man has won a title in every promotion he's been in, so it is safe to assume the same will happen in AEW.
Andrade El Idolo presents a different type of challenge for God's Favorite Champion Miro. While Sammy Guevara and Jungle Boy are athletic babyfaces that will use their skills to overcome the former "Best Man", Andrade is willing to get down and dirty to achieve his goals. Andrade would make for an ideal next TNT Champion whenever the opportunity presents itself.
#2 MJF - AEW World Championship
One of the main reasons why some fans prefer AEW over other promotions is the way they have built a bevy of future stars to rely on for years to come. At the head of the pack is Maxwell Jacob Friedman. MJF has gone from a future star to one of the top stars in All Elite Wrestling. Through sheer will and pure talent, Friedman has built plenty of credibility.
MJF has been very well versed in everything required of him so far during his run for AEW. Whether on the microphone or in the ring, the leader of The Pinnacle has delivered at a high level. He has also had some of the best feuds in the short history of All Elite Wrestling.
His rivalry with Cody Rhodes helped push him forward as the best heel in the business. His maiden opportunity at the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley was one of the best-built pay-per-view main events of 2020. His ongoing war against Chris Jericho has delivered plenty of memorable moments, including MJF getting the win for The Pinnacle in the first Blood and Guts Match.
This all sets the stage for what should be the biggest moment in MJF's career. He has built so much momentum that when his feud with Chris Jericho and The Inner Circle is over there is only one place to go. MJF must become the AEW World Champion.
The self-proclaimed "King of AEW" could make for an interesting dynamic against Kenny Omega. The leader of The Pinnacle vs. the leader of The Elite would be a different path for the company to take. Omega has never faced MJF or even crossed paths. This would be a surprising direction for All Elite Wrestling.
However, MJF may have to wait a little while longer because there is one other AEW star that could be in line to take the strap from Omega before Friedman gets his time in the sun.
#1 Hangman Page - AEW World Championship
The most obvious choice to win AEW gold in 2021 has to be Hangman Page. His story has been building for two years now since the young star was defeated by Chris Jericho in the inaugural AEW World Championship Match at All Out 2019. That was the catalyst for the character that fans know today.
Since his loss at All Out 2019, Hangman Page has undergone a slow burn transformation. His loss of confidence led to him leaving his friends in The Elite and starting down a path of drinking to hide his insecurities. Kenny Omega also suffered a few disheartening losses at the start of All Elite Wrestling and the two men became a tag team.
Their partnership was instantly successful with The Elite members, winning the AEW World Tag Team Championships and going on a magical run that included an all-time classic win over The Young Bucks at Revolution 2020. FTR came into All Elite Wrestling as former friends of Page and manipulated him to get themselves a shot at the gold.
FTR defeated Hangman Page and Kenny Omega at All Out 2020 with "The Cleaner" leaving his partner hanging following the loss. The former AEW World Tag Team Champions would then meet in the finals of the World Title Eliminator tournament at Full Gear 2020 with Omega beating Page to get a shot at the AEW World Championship.
Meanwhile, Hangman Page found himself new friends in The Dark Order.
While The Elite have reigned supreme as AEW World and World Tag Team Champions, Hangman Page has seemingly avoided talking about his former friends. Every time Page was on the brink of getting another title shot, he seemed to self sabotage himself. Finally, his new friends in The Dark Order brought up Page's #1 ranking to Omega, who seemed dismissive of his former friend.
On the most recent AEW Dynamite Road Rager episode, we finally had the first face-to-face confrontation between the former World Tag Team Champions since Full Gear. This sets the stage for what is looking to be the main event of All Out 2021. Hangman Page is the most organically built babyface that AEW has developed.
His journey has been deeply compelling and had a slow burn to the eventual destination of his AEW World Championship Match. It is inevitable that Page will be the man to dethrone Omega. Many fans of the promotion have been waiting for this moment and should make an iconic moment in All Elite Wrestling history. All signs point to All Out 2021 being Hangman Page's moment.