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With AEW just having celebrated the second anniversary of its debut event, things are looking bright for the buzzworthy promotion.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Tony Khan's company will add a second prime-time television show to its schedule. Beginning in August of this year, AEW Rampage will be broadcast weekly on Friday nights. The new hour-long show will join the company's flagship offering, AEW Dynamite in airing on TNT in the United States.
Assuming that AEW's current output remains the same, the addition of Rampage leaves the company with four shows to produce each week. In addition to Dynamite, the promotion also tapes episodes of AEW Dark and AEW Dark: Elevation for YouTube.
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AEW's commitments will become even greater at the turn of the calendar year, when Dynamite and Rampage move to a new American television home. Both shows will make the jump to TBS, although AEW will also produce four special events each year for TNT.
This increased television presence is a major positive for the company. It does, however, mean that more talent might be needed to perform on AEW shows.
Speaking on the AEW Unrestricted podcast ahead of this Sunday's Double or Nothing pay-per-view, Tony Khan acknowledged the need for an expanded roster moving forward.
“There’s gonna be a huge expansion of the company and I think that’s where Double Or Nothing comes in," said Khan. "Our huge signature pay-per-view, we take our quarterly events seriously. I want Double Or Nothing to be one of the great pay-per-views we’ve done and I think the return of crowds is gonna help boost this great card. But I also think that we have to start expanding the roster in AEW and there’s gonna be great moments and great surprises on the show.” said Tony Khan. (H/T - Inside The Ropes)
Luckily for the AEW boss, there are plenty of stars from around the wrestling industry who could join AEW immediately. Plenty of other talented wrestlers could do so over the next few months.
Here are five top performers who could become "All Elite" before the end of 2021.
#5 Former WWE Superstar Andrade is reportedly already in talks with AEW
Ever since his release from WWE was confirmed on March 21 this year, there has been plenty of speculation about the future of Andrade.
Promotions from around the globe have been vying for the signature of the 31-year-old for the last two months.
Although Andrade has recently agreed to a deal for a match with AAA in his home country of Mexico, it seems as if he might debut for AEW first.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Andrade is on the verge of signing with the Jacksonville-based promotion. The plan is reportedly for him to debut as the mystery entrant in the Casino Battle Royale match at this weekend's Double or Nothing pay-per-view.
If these rumors turn out to be accurate, Andrade would be a major catch for AEW. The former NXT Champion could be the first of many new faces fans see in the promotion over the coming months.
#4 Former MLW personality Salina De La Renta could join AEW before the end of the year
Most recently a big player in MLW, Salina de la Renta, also known as Natalia Class, has all the tools to be a huge hit for AEW.
The 24-year-old proved to be one of professional wrestling's most promising young talents during her time with Court Bauer's promotion.
A manager with a unique presence and charisma, Class has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to connect with an audience. That skill could work well with any number of AEW wrestlers.
Sure, the company already has several non-wrestling personalities at its disposal, but these are largely legends of the industry who have years of exposure on television. In de la Renta, AEW would be linking up with a fresh and dynamic performer.
With its expanded television output, AEW has more hours of content to fill than ever before. Salina de la Renta is more than capable of carrying a segment on behalf of a potential client in AEW.
A reunion with Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo, a team she previously worked with in MLW, is a possibility. Elsewhere, AEW has been teasing a new manager for Jade Cargill over the last month. De la Renta would also be a perfect fit for this role.
Aside from her skills at ringside, the Puerto Rican star also has previous commentary and production experience. For all these reasons, Salina de la Renta could do very well in AEW.
#3 Samoa Joe could be bound for AEW soon
When his WWE non-compete clause ends, Samoa Joe could be a fantastic acquisition for AEW.
The hard-hitting 42-year-old was released by WWE in April, to the surprise of many fans. Joe had been handling commentary duties on RAW prior to his WWE departure, as he hadn't stepped into the ring since February 2020 due to an injury.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling back in February, "The Samoan Submission Machine" insisted that he did not feel his career as an active performer was over.
While his time inside the WWE ring is at an end for now, Joe could still make a major impact in AEW. In a recent interview with TV Insider, former AEW Champion Chris Jericho stated that he would love to see Samoa Joe join the All Elite ranks.
"I’m a huge fan of Samoa Joe," said Jericho. "You can always use a guy like him on your roster. A lot of guys might have to take the international route or the independent level until they can be at the level to come to AEW. There are a lot of talented people out there and obviously, AEW is where they want to come to," said Jericho of Samoa Joe.
AEW has shown over its relatively short existence that it knows how to rotate its talent. It is not necessary for major stars, particularly veterans such as Samoa Joe, to work matches every week. AEW's handling of performers such as Christian Cage and Sting prove that not everyone on the roster needs to be physically involved on a regular basis. This schedule could appeal to Joe at this stage in this career.
If both sides are interested in coming to terms, Samoa Joe could be a valuable asset for the promotion.
#2 Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay (The IIconics) will be free to sign with AEW soon
Two very popular female stars might soon become members of AEW's ever-expanding women's division.
Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay (formerly known as Peyton Royce and Billie Kay) were released by WWE last month. Their departure from the company stunned many fans, but the two stars are looking forward to the next chapter of their careers.
The charismatic Australian duo will be contractually free to sign with another promotion in mid-July, and they have already stated that they intend to make their next move as a unit.
Addressing their future during an interview on Busted Open Radio, Cassie Lee revealed their plans.
"We definitely want to stay together," said Lee. "We want to move forward together. We're just most comfortable together and we can play off each other so easily. We don't even have to talk about what we're gonna do. We just go out there and it comes naturally to us because we have so much history together. So we definitely want to move forward together."
The real-life best friends have such powerful chemistry and comedic timing that their plan to continue their careers as a team makes a lot of sense.
The skills of the pair surely cannot be far from the radar of AEW executives. Both women have consistently improved in the ring over the last few years, and their abilities on the microphone are a particular strength for the duo.
It's important to note that Cassie Lee is the wife of AEW star Shawn Spears. So the former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions should not find it too difficult to settle in if they sign with Tony Khan's company.
As a popular pair of talented stars, Lee and McKay have a lot to offer AEW.
#1 Former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan is legally able to wrestle for any promotion he chooses - including AEW
With his previous WWE contract having expired at the end of last month, Daniel Bryan is legally able to join AEW at any time.
Unfortunately, no contact is believed to have been made between the two parties. This news will probably come as a disappointment to fans who hope to see Bryan mix it up with Kenny Omega, MJF and Cody Rhodes (among many others) in AEW.
Reportedly, the belief backstage earlier this month in AEW was that Bryan will likely agree to a new deal with WWE. Bu nearly a month after his contract expired, Bryan has seemingly yet to make a decision on his future.
One thing is unmistakeable, though. Daniel Bryan loves to wrestle, and he has previously indicated his desire to do so outside of WWE.
In an interview prior to his departure from WWE, Bryan said the following:
"My contract is up soon," said Bryan. "We need to figure out what a good balance between home life and wrestling. I never want to stop wrestling, I love it, it’s just figuring that out. It’d be interesting if I could wrestle in different companies and WWE. That’s actually something I’m trying to weasel my way into right now,” said Daniel Bryan.
It would come as a huge shock if Bryan made the jump to AEW in the near future. That being said, between now and the end of 2021, a lot can change. For as long as he remains a free agent, the possibility of Daniel Bryan becoming "All Elite" will continue to be discussed among many fans. Still relatively young at 40 years old, Bryan has an opportunity to add to his sparkling legacy.
In the world of professional wrestling, history has proved you can never rule anything out. That mentality certainly applies to the idea of Bryan signing with AEW.
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