9 WWE Stars Who Could Be AEW's 'Lex Luger'

As Eric Bischoff prepared to launch Nitro in the autumn of 1995, having being dumbfounded by WCW honcho Ted Turner's agreement to hand him primetime TV, he surreptitiously got on the blower to one of the rival WWF's wantaway stars, offering a cheeky low-ball offer on the off-chance he'd accept.

Come the night of the big debut, a fancily-shirted Lex Luger stunned the wrestling world, taking time out of his shopping to interrupt Sting and Ric Flair's match. Just a day earlier, he'd participated in a WWE house show; his sudden defection left his now-former bosses stunned.

It also helped Nitro hit the ground running, firmly establishing it as 'must-see' TV on which anything could happen.

Almost a quarter of a century later, WWE have a new rival. AEW, similarly flush with funds, have been leaning into the Nitro comparisons non-too-subtly, from hashing a network deal with TNT, to the proposed name of their show - Dynamite. They'll also be looking to kick-off with just as big a splash - and one of the best ways to do it is to repeat the moment.

Obviously not with Lex Luger himself. But there are a number of prime candidates who could waltz straight into AEW's debutante ball, smashing a few chandeliers in the process. The only question is whether they have the silly white shirt to fit.

It's literally impossible to make any predictions about Brock Lesnar's future, such is the abundant contempt in which he holds the concept of linear logic.

One moment, the man's absolutely watertight on WWE's roster, locked in a deal that's guaranteed to make him the highest paid horse in the business for almost as long as he chooses. The next, he's making overtures to Dana White, suddenly slimming, and butting heads with Daniel Cormier during one of his days off.

The man simply doesn't give a sh*t. It's not like he hasn't hoodwinked his employers before, walking out in 2004 for a proposed football career only to turn up in New Japan when it was pushed off-road by a van. He was slapped with an injunction by his livid former paymasters then, which was eventually settled out of court. He can afford to do it again.

Brock's nose is finely attuned for money - and there's even more of it to be had in AEW. His contract isn't so restrictive that he couldn't just jack it in on a whim, and if the offer's good enough, he will. The only question is whether All Elite would want to risk incurring the wrath of resentful fans for the sake of such a huge dollop of mainstream relevance.

Probability: Gosh, who knows.