5 former WWE Superstars who could make a surprise appearance at AEW Double or Nothing

AEW's very first show, Double or Nothing, will be held on May 25, 2019, with several high-profile matches already announced for the show. Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho will have their second major singles match at the show after their highly-rated match at Wrestle Kingdom 12.

We will also see a brother vs brother match as the recently released Dustin Rhodes (who went by the ring name Goldust) will face off against his brother, Cody. Another former WWE Superstar, PAC (who went by the ring name Neville) will compete in a singles match against Adam Page, while The Young Bucks will take on The Lucha Bros for the AAA World Tag Team Championship.

The show will have a lot of eyeballs on it, considering how AEW is considered as the successor to WCW and will take on the WWE.

We could see quite a few surprises at the show, including the appearance of a few former WWE Superstars. Here, let's take a look at 5 former WWE Superstars who could make a surprise appearance at AEW Double or Nothing:

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#1 Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger

Since being released by WWE in 2017, Jack Swagger has wrestled briefly in promotions like Lucha Underground and House of Hardcore. He's also trained and fought in MMA, with his first match in Bellator happening earlier this year, which he won.

He revealed recently that he's good friends with AEW's Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes, and that although he speaks to a lot of the wrestlers in AEW, he hasn't had a conversation regarding him joining them.

Swagger seems to want to continue fighting in Bellator, but that shouldn't stop him from turning up at AEW, as their schedule is set to be very relaxed.

#2 Austin Aries

Austin Aries quit Impact Wrestling after a reported disagreement with management

Former Impact Wrestling, WWE, and ROH wrestler Austin Aries is currently working the independent wrestling scene after leaving Impact Wrestling last year. Aries is one of the most talented cruiserweights in the pro wrestling world, but his attitude is said to have rubbed people the wrong way.

Aries had a rivalry with Neville on 205 Live in WWE, which included a match between the two at WrestleMania 33 for the Cruiserweight title, which Neville (who is PAC in AEW) won.

We could see that rivalry being renewed on AEW, and could perhaps begin at the Double or Nothing show.

Aries can mix it up with the big or small men in the ring and can be a fantastic heel for the fledgeling promotion.

#3 Big Cass

Big Cass was released by WWE in June 2019

Big Cass and Enzo Amore, two former WWE Superstars, shocked the pro wrestling world when they invaded the G1 Supercard show held by ROH in April this year, attacking the ROH and NJPW tag teams that were in the ring.

It was later revealed that the two were signed with ROH and would go by the name, FreeAgentZ.

Enzo Amore has courted controversy, with allegations of sexual assault levied on him, which were later proven to be false. Since then he has released his own music, while also disrupting last year's Survivor Series PPV.

It is unlikely that AEW would want to sign Amore, who seems to take controversy along with him wherever he goes, while Big Cass seems a safer bet for AEW management.

#4 Tye Dillinger

Tye Dillinger

Tye Dillinger is one of the wrestlers who asked for his release from WWE in 2019, and following his release in February, there were many who were linking him with a switch to AEW.

Dillinger and Cody Rhodes are good friends, having both worked together in OVW at the start of their careers.

Following Dillinger's release, Cody was all praise for his friend: "Fearless. I can’t wait to see what you do next. I wish you all the happiness in the world old friend. Don’t settle."

In a later interview with Pro Wrestling Sheet, Cody lavished praise on Dillinger and said, "I’d love to offer him whatever resources I’ve obtained when I left and started my independent wrestling tour. I don’t think that’s a conversation about him coming to AEW that we need to have as much as I want him to be able to get out there and do his thing and fill his soul up.

"Any company, whether it’s New Japan Pro Wrestling or Ring of Honor or MLW or EVOLVE or whatever — there’s so many companies — any company would benefit from having Tye Dillinger," said Cody.

#5 CM Punk

CM Punk

AEW's biggest signing would be that of former WWE Champion CM Punk, who walked away from pro wrestling after his departure from WWE in 2014.

Punk recently returned to the wrestling ring, albeit under a mask, for MKE Wrestling. Punk has time and again spoken about how he is no longer interested in returning to pro wrestling, but also revealed that if an offer was laid on his table, he may consider it.

Cody spoke about how Matt Jackson actually made an offer for Punk, in an interview last year: "Matt [Jackson] actually made a full offer or full pitch for his services and I think Punk is focused on the Mixed Martial Arts element of his career. One of the reasons we didn't first come out and say, 'Here's who we want you to wrestle,' because I think we just wanted him to be a part of the event for a lot of fans, he's captured their imagination even with the amount of time he's been gone," said Cody in an interview with WrestlingInc.

Punk's reply to Cody was an interesting one, as he said that an offer was not made, but also revealed that he was done with wrestling. His latest appearance at the indie show indicates that he may still love pro wrestling and a big offer could make him return!