10 Bold Predictions For What AEW Will Look Like This Time Next Year

1. Eddie Kingston Will Be World Champion

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One year ago to the day, almost, many AEW fans were apprehensive about the role Eddie Kingston was set to play in his backyard at Grand Slam.

A rematch with Miro?

Surely, a rematch with Miro was happening: Kingston had earned a title run, and was universally beloved as the babyface king of episodic TV. Very few others built matches and worked matches as well as he did.

As it happened, he was only awarded a temporary feel-good "moment" by teaming with Jon Moxley to defeat Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki, following which he was reunited with close friend Homicide. The match however was underwhelming, more plunder brawl than the advertised 'Lights Out' insanity. The booking was more generous than effective. Eddie Kingston deserves more.

And he'll get it within the next 12 months. CM Punk and Hangman Page have received mixed reactions over the past several weeks. Kenny Omega is a babyface masquerading as heel at this point, and while that is exactly as intended, his incredible comeback story was too experimental for the TV audience, looking at the ratings. What AEW has with Eddie Kingston is special. Even the best wrestlers don't stay over as babyfaces forever.

Khan must recognise this by now.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!