Five British wrestlers who could appear in AEW
We look at five UK-based stars that could decide to go ‘All In’ in the coming months following the success of AEW Double or Nothing
AEW Double or Nothing was a notable night for a number of reasons. To us Brits, one of those was the debut of two of our own – Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc.
Sabian had the honour of winning the promotion’s first singles match, whilst Havoc made the final four of the Buy In Battle Royal. The Kings of the Goths would also later appear in the AEW Champion presentation segment later in the evening.
With a talent pool as long as your arm, it’s inevitable that more UK talent will join the pair. The question is who?
Between AEW, NXT UK and NJPW, there is no shortage of options if they desire. Some may want to remain independent in Europe.
Either way, the draw of All Elite Wrestling after this past weekend could be too strong for some. As a result, Steven Wilson picks out five UK-based stars that could decide to go ‘All In’.
Joe Hendry
Having recently made an ‘IMPACT’ in the States, the Prestigious One Joe Hendry is now a free agent.
The Scottish Commonwealth athlete has featured in nearly every promotion round the world. His short career has seen him make appearances in ROH and WWE to name a few.
Hendry possesses a combination of charisma, intelligence and technical ability that is difficult to teach. Such a CV has led to him being one of the most talked about stars in Scottish wrestling.
His impending ‘Loser Leaves Town’ style matches in ICW and Defiant has fueled speculation that he has signed a big deal. But is it with NXT UK and AEW?
WWE’s UK brand wouldn’t prevent him appearing at ICW, so don’t be surprised if he shows up in AEW. His past YouTube work would see him fit in perfectly with The Elite.
Chris Brookes
The Calamari Catch King is flying solo in the most part after the retirement of his regular CCK partner Kid Lykos.
Brookes is arguably one of the UK’s most nibble big men. One minute he is locking you in submissions. The next, he is flying towards you like a Cruiserweight.
It’s no secret that Brookes has turned down NXT UK in the past. Would he do the same if Cody and The Bucks came calling?
He wrestles a pretty loaded schedule across Europe with Schadenfreude. Plus he is one of a select number of UK-based wrestlers who prides themselves on their Independent image.
I’m not sure if will happen immediately, but don’t be surprised if he’s in AEW at this point next year.
Chris Ridgeway
He’s hard as f*** and a very underrated wrestler in the grand scheme of things.
Liverpool’s Ridgeway has been a fixture across the UK scene for a number of years. It is only over the last 12 months that he has began establishing himself as one of the nation’s best.
He took WALTER to his limit recently and produced an absolute barn-stormer against Kyle O’Reilly at Progress SSS16.
Similar to O’Reilly, Ridgeway has a knack for getting you into a submission from nothing. Combine that with his ability to knock your teeth out, and you have a prizefighter waiting to happen.
He’d be a perfect fit for the new brand of wrestling AEW are looking to promote.
Aussie Open
Technically not British, but the team of Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher have made the UK their home in recent years.
Aussie Open have been on an absolute tear over this last year. A superb combination of speed and power, they are a guarantee MOTN contender whenever they wrestle.
Take their recent match at Rev Pro with Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr for example.
All Elite Wrestling say they want to focus on tag team wrestling. If they want it to have a worldwide presence, there isn’t many better over here than Aussie Open.
If they do go though, they should stop by ICW first. Them versus Kings of Catch has money written all over it.
Stevie Boy
Speaking of Kings of Catch, we can’t talk Scottish wrestlers without throwing the Filthy Generation leader into the mix.
Stevie’s situation is an interesting one. This time last year, he was a part of WOS Wrestling. However, a serious knee injury has kept him out since July, keeping him away from the whole NXT UK/AEW scenario.
There is no question he has the talent to be a factor in either. His track record speaks for itself. ICW Grand Slam Champion, Square Go winner and King of Insanity makes him one of Scotland’s most decorated wrestlers.
Scottish fans will just be happy to see him back in the ring sooner rather than later.
For Stevie, it’s not a question of if he will sign with one of the aforementioned two brands, it’s a case of when in my opinion.
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