10 Wrestlers Who Went To Extreme Lengths To Join AEW
Which wrestler took out a bank loan to ensure his All Elite spot?
It may currently be overflowing with more behind-the-scenes drama than five-star classics at this exact moment in time, but there's still no questioning the fact that a great many non-AEW stars occupying the fascinating sphere of pro wrestling would give their right arm to be All Elite at the time of writing.
It's not too difficult to understand why. Since its inception back in 2019, Tony Khan's vibrant new promotion has gone out of its way to offer far more than a mere alternative to their Sports Entertainment rivals.
Electric in-ring showcases involving every style of wrasslin' under the sun. Captivating long-running storylines. And the sort of relatable, three-dimensional characters that consistently reward fans for investing their time and energy into each edition of Dynamite and Rampage, and whatever PPVs head their way. Whatever it is you enjoy about this nutty industry, AEW likely has you covered.
And with that in mind, either upon taking in the exciting work being pumped into the landscape by the AEW Originals or sensing that TK and the gang were onto something game-changing out of the gates, each of these wrestlers all knew they simply had to become All Elite sooner rather than later... and went to some rather extreme lengths to sign on the dotted line.
10. Britt Baker Wants To Juggle Dentistry With Being All Elite
Trying to get yourself through dental school and start up your own practise isn't what you'd class as the simplest of endeavours for any budding dentist. Now factor in the often impossible dream of also wanting to set the professional wrestling business on fire and you have the frankly staggering career choices of a certain All Elite D.M.D.
But there was a time when said ambitions to be both The Doctor and The Wrestler were something of stumbling block for Britt Baker during her attempts to get signed with WWE a few years back, with the company being reluctant to sign her in the midst of her dental training and studies.
Far from letting this set-back deter Baker from a life in the wrasslin' business, however, the eventual AEW star eventually found a dental office that would allow her to continue performing as and when she desired.
Sure enough, this insistence on trying to make both careers work set the stage for Tony Khan and his team to bring their soon-to-be leading light of the women's division aboard the AEW machine upon setting up the promotion in 2019, with Baker going on record to note on Talk is Jericho:
"...the biggest question I got to tally off was that I could still be a dentist during the week. And that was one of my first conversations with Tony, was about how thankful I am that I get to do both of my passions."