Predicting Where Every AEW Wrestler Will Be In 5 Years' Time

40. Malakai Black

Malakai Black
AEW

Tricky.

His base is incredibly into him, but more cynical, trad-minded fans are terrified by the prospect of supernatural-adjacent lore becoming canon in this context. Live crowds don't reflect this online division. He's over and over big.

Moreover, whether his creative mind is fascinating or dorky, it seems endless - so much so that the future TNT Champion will be inspiring Reddit threads for years to come.

Provided, of course, that the platform hasn't poisoned itself entirely in five years' time.

39. Nick Comoroto

Darby Allin Nick Comoroto
AEW

A visually stunning specimen who isn't particularly over, his early '90s hoss throwback move-set raises a smile within those who came of age in thrall to such goliaths without truly connecting on a meaningful level.

A well-intentioned experiment - why wouldn’t you do something with someone who looks like that? - it's not really working enough to predict anything other than a "We'll leave the door open".

38. Orange Cassidy

Adam Cole Orange Cassidy
AEW

The man with an act that retains its crowd-pleasing wonder even in the face of normalised saturation, Cassidy hasn't even approach playing earnest yet, and he's as creative as all hell.

He might not become a warped but undeniable World Champion prospect, despite his fairly sizeable popularity, but something has gone badly, worryingly long if Cassidy isn't AEW's distinct version of Toru Yano: a beloved ever-present that adds immeasurable charm and inexplicable longevity to the promotion.

Advertisement
 
Posted On: 
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!