10 WWE Wrestlers Already Dreaming Of AEW

6. Kyle O'Reilly

Kevin Owens AEW
WWE

The following entry is pure speculation.

Unlike several other names put forward in this list, there are no stealth likes nor grumbling interview tidbits linking Kyle O'Reilly to All Elite Wrestling. He is a total pro, not that being a total pro can't be boring. Us hardcores need gossip as sustenance. O'Reilly however is unwilling to add to the news cycle; he promotes his matches on Twitter, rarely conducts interviews, and plays for the team.

But the coach has all but benched him. He didn't get over as the babyface in his long programme with Adam Cole, because Cole is too charismatic and likeable. An abandoned repackage as 'Cool Kyle' was a disastrous attempt to adapt his irreverent sense of humour onscreen; plagued by WWE scripting, he just radiated dorky vibes.

It was a downer, all told. O'Reilly was a hammy, boy-popping air guitarist in the Undisputed Era, and his explosive striking and grappling game is so gruesome and snappy that he is one of the more overlooked masters of the pro wrestling craft in 2021. He exists now to put big lads over, and that can't be it for him.

He's 34, and his prime years are being wasted as a player/coach. Again: nobody knows if he's dreaming of AEW, but surely, he's listening to those booming "Baybay" chants with a solitary tear running down his cheek.

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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!