The independent circuit in professional wrestling has grown massively in the past few years. Gone are the days when WWE was the best promotion to work for.
Cody Rhodes, who was having a tough time in the lower card of WWE, asked for his release in 2016. The American Nightmare literally turned his life upside down in the independent circuit, emerging as one of the biggest names outside WWE. Rhodes also claimed that he was making triple the amount he was making in WWE.
His success on the independent circuit ultimately led to the birth of a new promotion, All Elite Wrestling, owned by Shahid Khan. AEW has quickly caught everyone's eye as it boasts of some of the biggest names in professional wrestling outside WWE. The eventual signing of Chris Jericho and the wrestling sensation, Kenny Omega, gave them the much-needed star power.
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AEW isn't like any other promotion, and there are reasons for WWE to be worried about its growth. The roster of AEW isn't as diverse as WWE's but they do have some of the most talented athletes in professional wrestling.
With such immense talent on both rosters, there are some cross-promotion matches that will blow the roof off of any arena they are held in. Here are 5 fantasy inter-promotion matches between WWE and AEW that everyone would love to see.
#5 Buddy Murphy vs Pac
When Neville walked out of the company in 2017, people were worried about the 205 Live division which was already struggling. Neville was the driving force behind the cruiserweight division as he held the title for a record 196 days. Little did people know that NXT's best-kept secret would turn out to be one of the most excellent workers in WWE.
In a very short time, Murphy established himself as one of the biggest names in 205 Live. He is currently the third longest reigning cruiserweight champion. The men ahead of him are Cedric Alexander and the King of Cruiserweights, Neville himself. A match between Murphy and Neville, who now wrestles under the ring name Pac, will definitely be one of the best matches of both of their careers.
#4 Rey Mysterio and Andrade vs Los Lucha Bros
Los Lucha Bros are the recent additions to the AEW roster. Considered as the best luchadors in the world, the real-life brothers have enjoyed success on various promotions like Impact Wrestling and Lucha Underground.
What makes this match a must-see is a rich history all these wrestlers share with Mexico. While Andrade and Los Lucha Bros hail from Mexico, Mysterio has spent a huge part of his career in Mexico. All four wrestlers started their wrestling career and have been part of the legendary promotion, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre.
While Mysterio and Andrade aren't officially a tag team in WWE, they have already shown their flawless in-ring chemistry during their matches on SmackDown Live. The pairing of Andrade and Mysterio is the best suitable pair to face Los Lucha Bros.
#3 Cody Rhodes vs Drew McIntyre
While this match might not necessarily be on everyone's list, Cody Rhodes and Drew Mcintyre share a very similar tale with slightly a different ending. The duo of Rhodes and McIntyre are former WWE Tag Team Champions. Both these wrestlers failed to win the world title in WWE and were eventually released from the company.
However, this is when their careers took a U-turn. Both Mcintyre and Rhodes went on to make quite a name for themselves outside WWE. Once they were successful, their next path was a little different. While the American Nightmare continued to stay outside WWE, the Scottish Psychopath returned to his former company.
It can be said that both of these wrestlers probably made the right decisions, as their futures look bright.
#2 The Usos vs The Young Bucks
The tag team division wasn't the most respected division in professional wrestling. However, in the past few years, the scenario has changed altogether. The re-emergence of the tag team division can be credited to teams like Young Bucks and the Usos.
While the Usos have successfully delivered classics after classics in WWE, the Young Bucks have not only produced great matches but have also brought much-needed attention to the tag team division on the independent circuit. The success of both these teams had already made this a dream match for many fans, long before the formation of AEW.
Even the Young Bucks were quick to respond to fans wanting to see this match. Matt Jackson, one-half of the Young bucks, claimed they would love to wrestle the Usos.
#1 Kenny Omega vs Seth Rollins
When it comes to fantasy matches between WWE and AEW, there is no match bigger than Seth Rollins vs Kenny Omega. Just like the Usos vs the Young Bucks, this match has been on the checklist of dream matches for every wrestling fan.
While Rollins has been one of the most consistent performers in WWE, Omega has continuously delivered 5-star matches. Both Rollins and Omega are strong contenders for best wrestler in the world. However, such a spot cannot be awarded to either of them unless they actually face each other.
Both wrestlers have not shied away from accepting the fact that they want to face each other. When Rollins claimed that he wanted to face Omega to prove himself as the best wrestler in the world, Omega didn't take too long to respond to the challenge.