Predicting The Next 10 AEW World Champions

10. Adam Cole

Let’s start with the man who seems the obvious choice to be next in line. Adam Cole made his AEW debut in grand fashion last September, and since then he has been presented as a true megastar. He has barely lost a match since, and while he tends to win in cheap fashion, he has been dealt major victories, culminating on Sunday with the Owen Hart Tournament.

He’s massively over with one of the best entrances in the business, has a great faction behind him for storytelling purposes, and can keep up with the best of them on the mic. He’s been cited by Jim Ross repeatedly as a future world champ.

Perhaps most importantly, Punk/Cole isn’t a match we’ve seen before. The two feel evenly matched in the ring; it would also give AEW another chance to cite the comparative styles of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels devotees.

It would feel wasteful not to try a Punk heel turn while he’s still around, but now’s probably not the time. Cocky heel Adam Cole dethroning uber-face Punk would give the Panama City Playboy some useful heat - and open the door to.