9 Wrestlers AEW Will Sign In 2024

3. Bryan Keith

Kazuchika Okada
AEW

AEW fans - those who tune into Rampage, admittedly, which is very few - have already seen a fleeting, thrilling glimpse of Bryan Keith in 2023.

He did a job for Hangman Page, and Keith was given the gig because he is one of the few wrestlers to have instigated something in the way of positive conversation within a deeply uninteresting US indie scene that is in a state of decline. It made its major label debut in AEW, which has slurped the talent pool, but Keith is so talented that he would have made an impression at its hottest and most influential.

His match with Page was an excellent, economic sprint, and in just four minutes, Keith did a super job of his ability to convey a sense of struggle and shift the momentum in a match without it feeling like de rigueur back-and-forth.

Those who have the time and inclination to persist with the US indies, in this era of normalised, never-ending Good Matches, know that Keith is very capable of the long-form effort, too.

While he wasn't immediately gifted with the Is All Elite graphic on September 1, don't be surprised to see him return as Khan slowly works out how to get the base back onside.

On the subject of which...

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!