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

7. SHOULDN'T - Sasha Banks

Ali Cesaro
WWE.com

After a brilliant 2020 marked by atypical, subtle long-term storytelling, it's becoming grimly evident that the Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley programme was an aberration.

The ongoing programme with Bianca Belair is rotten fare suffocated by the passé "Can they coexist?" trope and the presence of Reginald the Sommelier. The core thrust of the conflict - does Sasha know how much the annoying pervert is getting in the way, or is she too dumb? - has so little to do with wrestling, much less a women's wrestling singles title programme. It is as dire as it is regressive.

But AEW has much to do, to convince star female talent that the company is a destination. The old takes are feeling ancient now. The Women's Eliminator was booked magnificently; the Dr. Britt Baker Vs. Thunder Rosa Lights Out match has earned the stipulation organically; the influx of joshi talent has improved the overall standard immeasurably, as every good faith critic forecast at the worst of 2020.

But the upcoming 17th March Dynamite represents one of very few AEW shows on which two women's wrestling matches have taken place on it. There remains an air of obligation surrounding women's wrestling in AEW, and it will linger until true parity is reached. That there's a very good if stark reason why this can't yet happen should not go unnoticed.

But until AEW runs out of such excuses, and delivers the promised Elite women's wrestling product, no WWE talent should make the jump. That such moves are rarely discussed says rather a lot.

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!