5 WWE Wrestlers Who Should Jump To AEW (And 5 Who Shouldn't)

1. SHOULDN'T - Dolph Ziggler

Ali Cesaro
WWE

Dolph Ziggler doesn't give a sh*t anymore and his open acknowledgement of that fact is funnier than his stand-up material.

There's a cruel, only-in-WWE irony to it: if he was this calloused and uninvested seven years ago, he might have embarked on a proper main event run. As it is, he cared too much and had too many respected pro wrestling minds fight his corner. He was doomed because you liked him, and Jesus Christ, is it any wonder WWE created their own competition in the form of AEW?

A selfless bumping machine with an unreal tank, Ziggler once was the preeminent internet darling. That is not the case in 2021; profoundly overexposed and stigmatised as a just a guy, if he indeed only cares about the money, he's better placed staying in WWE, who, in the event of a contract negotiation, would pay him even more not to go to AEW.

If he's interested in preserving his legacy through ego, he's probably better off waiting for the fickle cycles of fashion to reemerge in the years to come. The narrative will change again, when fans have a chance to miss him.

He will no longer be the whiner who couldn't put up and leave when he had the chance; he will be the lost headliner WWE were dumb enough not to push.

Contributor
Contributor

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!