5 Reasons why Cain Velasquez is a great fit for AEW

Even given WWE's recent spell of roster cuts, the news of Cain Velasquez's reported release still came as a shock to many fans. The former UFC heavyweight champion was just months into a lucrative multi-year deal with the company, having only signed terms back in October last year.

Shortly before agreeing to join WWE, Cain Velasquez reportedly held talks with several other promotions around the world - including AEW. At the time, there was speculation that WWE had hired Velasquez, as much as anything else, to keep him away from a competitor.

Upon his WWE debut, Cain Velasquez immediately entered into a feud with Brock Lesnar - playing off their fight at UFC 121 in 2010 - which Velasquez won decisively. The pair were booked to face each other for the first time in WWE at Crown Jewel 2019 in Saudi Arabia, with Lesnar's WWE championship on the line.

The much-anticipated clash, though, proved a disappointment for fans - as Lesnar won the bout by submission in just 88 seconds. A pre-existing knee injury for Velasquez meant the match had to be kept short, but there was a feeling that the Latino superstar would eventually get his shot at revenge, once healthy.

Any rematch, though, is now off the table following Velasquez's release. His WWE departure, however, should not spell the end of his professional wrestling career. The 37-year-old still has plenty to offer, in particular to AEW. Here are five reasons why Velasquez can flourish in the promotion.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article belong to the writer and doesn't necessarily represent Sportskeeda's stand.

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#5 Still fresh as a TV character

Velasquez made his debut on the first episode of SmackDown on Fox

Nobody will pretend that Cain Velasquez's WWE run was a roaring success. Truthfully, though, for much of his tenure, he was sidelined by injuries. This meant that his presence on WWE television was severely limited. Indeed, he never had a match on any of WWE's weekly shows. In short, Cain Velasquez did not have much of an opportunity to showcase his worth.

He only worked two official matches for the promotion: His loss to Lesnar in Saudi Arabia and a tag team victory (partnering with Humberto Carrillo) at a November house show in Mexico.

Velasquez's lack of mainstream exposure in a professional wrestling setting is positive news for AEW. He possesses the size, athleticism, and aura to be a significant player for the company. Booked correctly from the outset, AEW can quickly erase any damage done to Velasquez's reputation by his brief WWE stint.

#4 Velasquez's mainstream appeal

Velasquez is a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion and headlined multiple pay-pay-view events during his MMA career

Having spent ten years as a high profile fighter in the UFC, Cain Velasquez carries a considerable amount of name value. As a relatively new company, this is undoubtedly something that AEW can benefit from

Cain Velasquez's November 2011 UFC heavyweight title fight with Junior Dos Santos drew a peak audience of 8.8 million viewers in the US, demonstrating his ability to bring a broad television audience.

The above figure was helped, in part, by Cain Velasquez's tremendous popularity in Mexico. Aside from the Lucha Brothers, AEW does not have many Hispanic stars. By adding Velasquez to its roster, AEW can instantly broaden its appeal to that market.

In addition, Velasquez's first major angles and matches would likely attract some mainstream sports coverage. Given that AEW Dynamite goes head-to-head with WWE's NXT television show in the Wednesday night ratings, featuring a performer of his stature could do wonders for AEW's brand awareness - helping to increase viewing figures.

3 A lighter schedule and a more relaxed backstage atmosphere

Velasquez reportedly upset key people in WWE with some of his conduct.

At present, AEW only runs one weekly television show - meaning that its roster works a far lesser schedule than their WWE counterparts. At 37, with a history of injuries, Cain Velasquez is better suited to the kind of limited workload that AEW offers.

Cain Velasquez also needs time to develop his skills as a professional wrestler, having trained seriously for less than a year. WWE needed a marquee match for last year's Crown Jewel event and so pushed their new signing straight into the program with Lesnar. AEW does not face that sort of pressure - and so can provide Cain Velasquez the time he needs to work on his craft.

As a California resident, Cain Velasquez lives close to some of AEW's more experienced talent, such as the Young Bucks and SCU, who could potentially assist in his development while he remains close to home.

Sportskeeda's own Tom Colohue revealed last week that part of the reason behind Velasquez's WWE release was that he made several backstage missteps during his time with the company. WWE officials reportedly believed that Cain Velasquez had failed to disclose a knee injury before signing his contract - and were also upset that he publicly discussed a planned surprise return in this year's Royal Rumble match.

AEW has been praised frequently by their performers for having a far more relaxed locker room environment than WWE, so Velasquez would seem less likely to face the same political pressures he did in WWE. He will have learned plenty about how best to conduct himself during his WWE run as well.

#2 Potential to adapt well to the AEW in-ring style

Velasquez impressed during his professional wrestling debut for AAA last year.

WWE was alerted to Cain Velasquez's potential as a professional wrestler after he signed with AAA last year, making his first appearance at the promotion's TripleMania event. The debutant wowed fans with the smoothness of his in-ring efforts, pulling off several high-flying moves, including a running hurricanrana.

One man who could not help but take notice of Cain Velasquez's showing was AEW's Cody Rhodes - as he teamed with him during the match. Rhodes joined his fellow AEW executive vice presidents, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, in praising Velasquez's performance following the event.

"I was really impressed with him," said Rhodes of Cain Velasquez, while Omega declared that he would "love to see" the Latino star continue his wrestling career.

Following his WWE departure, Cain Velasquez is now free to pursue his career with AEW. He has proven he can work an aerial style and matches with the likes of the Young Bucks and the Lucha Brothers have great potential.

Velasquez made a great first impression on several key decision makers in AEW - and he would surely be a welcome addition if a deal between the two parties can be negotiated.

#1 A genuine heavyweight

Velasquez carries a unique physical presence.

While Velasquez has shown the athleticism to enable him to work with a wide variety of opponents, there is nothing quite like a match between two heavyweight competitors. As a two-time UFC Heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez is not only a big man, but he has a reputation that fits his physical stature as well.

Matches with the likes of Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley would be intriguing, as well as having strong box office appeal. The same can is true of Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes.

Cain Velasquez, though, would also work well with AEW's newer acquisitions, such as Lance Archer and Brodie Lee. Both the men mentioned have an impressive physical stature, and a clash for either with Cain Velasquez would be a remarkable spectacle.

Lastly, there is also a potential feud with Bellator MMA heavyweight Jake Hager, in which Velasquez's prior career can form the basis for a unique rivalry. There would be no shortage of big matches in AEW for Cain Velasquez. Negotiating a deal could be tricky - as Velasquez is unlikely to come cheap - but the move makes a lot of sense for both parties.