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Unless you've been sitting under a rock, you would have undoubtedly seen the rumors online that both Daniel Bryan and CM Punk could potentially be heading to AEW.
Bryan has been removed from WWE's roster and a report has revealed that there are no figures or merchandise planned for later this year. This has led people to believe he might truly have left WWE.
Incredibly, CM Punk's AEW debut seems more of a sure thing as Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful has reported that Punk is potentially preparing for a return to the ring and that AEW is his most likely option.
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But Sean Ross Sapp also said on 'The List and Ya Boy' podcast that if AEW doesn't get Punk and Bryan, they aren't done. But that raises the question: who else could they possibly be gunning for?
Here are 5 potential AEW surprises that would be bigger than Daniel Bryan or CM Punk
#5. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson could shock everyone by appearing for AEW
I know what you're all thinking. It's absolutely insane to suggest that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson would appear anywhere else other than WWE, but to the doubters, I have a few things to say.
No-one would've thought that Chris Jericho would leave WWE, or The Big Show, or Mark Henry and here we are now, with all three former WWE Superstars currently signed with All Elite Wrestling.
And it wasn't long ago that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson made an appearance for IMPACT Wrestling to induct his friend Ken Shamrock into the IMPACT Hall of Fame.
But it seems that WWE are building towards a big WrestleMania match between Roman Reigns and The Rock, which is a match that the Brahma Bull seems to want to have. This means he'll more than likely reappear for WWE if he ever returns to wrestling, but never say never.
#4. Stone Cold Steve Austin could finaly have one more match, but for AEW
Wrestling fans, not just WWE and AEW fans, have been dying to see Stone Cold Steve Austin return to the ring for another match. He's kept fans satisfied with the odd stunner here and there during sporadic WWE appearances, but we'd all love more.
Stone Cold Steve Austin's relationship with WWE seems to be great right now. He regularly interviews WWE stars on his Broken Skull Sessions podcast and he gets to make an appearance every now and then.
But when you're trying to think of names that could be even bigger than CM Punk and Daniel Bryan only a handful of names come to mind, and one of those names is undoubtedly Stone Cold Steve Austin.
#3. Kurt Angle returns to wrestling to have the final match he wanted for AEW
Kurt Angle has been away from the ring since his retirement match against Baron Corbin. However, the Olympic Gold Medalist has discussed his final match several times, stating how disappointed he was with it.
Angle wasn't annoyed at Corbin being his final opponent, although many others were. He didn't like the lack of occasion that accompanied his final match with the company, stating that his last moments in WWE felt like a 'filler.'
Consequently, Kurt Angle could decide to return to the ring and have one last final run that he can be proud of. Of course, AEW might very well be the best place for him to do that.
#2. Hulk Hogan could defect to AEW
There are very few WWE lifers left these days but The Hulkamaniac Hollywood Hulk Hogan is certainly one of them, and him appearing in AEW would be shocking to say the least. Even with his past indiscretions, it could be argued that there is no-one bigger in professional wrestling than him.
He admittedly owes WWE a great deal for the way they've stood by him and given him work over the last few years, but given that he's pretty much free to do what he wants, he could decide to make appearances for other companies whilst he still can.
Many will say that they don't want Hulk Hogan anywhere near AEW, but there won't be many who can say that they won't have a massive reaction if he ever does make a surprise appearance for the promotion.
#1. The Undertaker goes for one more last ride at AEW
He's retired, people will say. He's a WWE lifer, others will add. And they would be absolutely right on both counts. But hear me out, what if he shows up at AEW?
There's a big reason why I think this might be a possibility and that's the fact that Sting has signed with AEW and is wrestling again after his injury from WWE. That means there's now another small window for Sting and The Undertaker to finally have a match.
Will it be any good? Probably not, but would that even matter? There's not much you can do in professional wrestling that would be bigger than putting these two men inside a ring.
