Who AEW should book to beat Kenny Omega to be the next champ

[wendigosong]

I personally think that Kenny's title reign has a lot of mileage left in it, however, that doesn't stop us from speculating on who should be the next champ.  For this exercise, we should assume that the title is going to someone who has not held it before, so Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley should be considered ineligible.  Here are my top 5 options:

 

1) Adam Page:  This one really writes itself as they have unfinished business.  There is no doubt in my mind that he will eventually win, the only issue is when.

2) Brian Cage:  I think this would be a nice contrast in styles, and the prospect of seeing Brian Cage holding both the FTW and AEW titles would be a sight to behold.  Plus, it would give Taz some nice fodder for promos with managing the AEW champion.

3) Eddie Kingston:  Kingston may be the best promo in wrestling right now and with the AEW title draped over his shoulder he could be sort of an anti-Rock type character.

4) PAC:  Literally one of the best overall wrestlers in the world.  Even a short run with the title would be memorable.

5) Sting:  If there is anyone on Earth that can make a 61 year old Sting look like a million bucks its Kenny Omega.  Lets assume Sting has one last match left in him, making him a transitional World Champion and then having lose the title immediatly after winning it and not even get to put the title around his waist would draw instant heat to whoever beat him.

How about you folks.  Who do you think should be the person to eventually dethrone Kenny Omega?

[Fight Me.]

It definitely has to be Hangman Adam Page. This story has been building since day one in AEW. If literally anyone else wins it off Omega, storytelling is dead lol

Either that or Kenny has to go away for surgery people have been saying he needs since even before that match with Hangman at Full Gear. You couldn't tell from his matches since then lol But yeah, that would leave the title vacated and Hangman would probably just win it in a tourney ot something.

[Counting Lights]

It's gotta be Hangman. AEW are pretty stellar at long term story telling, and Hangman's gonna have to eventually find himself and go for Kenny. It shouldn't be for a long time though. All Out (September) is the absolute soonest IMHO.

Cage and Kingston can't touch Kenny's level right now. 

PAC is there in ring, but not starpower. He should get a TNT run sometime this year though.

I trust AEW not to give Sting any titles.

[wendigosong]

On 12/20/2020 at 8:34 PM, Fight Me. said:

It definitely has to be Hangman Adam Page. This story has been building since day one in AEW. If literally anyone else wins it off Omega, storytelling is dead lol

 

Not sure I agree with you.  Even if someone else beats Kenny and ends up being a transitional champion so Hangman Page can win the title off of them, AEW could still have Page vs Omega with Page as the champion and Kenny being the unbeatable heel.

 

On 12/20/2020 at 10:51 PM, Counting Lights said:

Cage and Kingston can't touch Kenny's level right now. 

PAC is there in ring, but not starpower. He should get a TNT run sometime this year though.

I trust AEW not to give Sting any titles.

Cage and Kingston are bona fide main eventers.  You may prefer Kenny to them, but that does not mean that they could not put on an amazing match with him or be a credible champion.  As far as PAC, he is one of the best wrestlers in the world and his promo skills would compliment Omega's.  With respect to Sting, I'd like Sting to beat Kenny for the title and then Hangman to beat Sting.  It would put Hangman over like a million bucks and he could then go against Kenny in a showdown.  But that's just my opinion.  That's one of the things I like about AEW, there are so many possibilities.

[Counting Lights]

15 minutes ago, wendigosong said:

Cage and Kingston are bona fide main eventers.  You may prefer Kenny to them, but that does not mean that they could not put on an amazing match with him or be a credible champion.  As far as PAC, he is one of the best wrestlers in the world and his promo skills would compliment Omega's.  With respect to Sting, I'd like Sting to beat Kenny for the title and then Hangman to beat Sting.  It would put Hangman over like a million bucks and he could then go against Kenny in a showdown.  But that's just my opinion.  That's one of the things I like about AEW, there are so many possibilities.

I'm not saying either Cage or Kingston is bad. But they are not on Kenny's level. That's not an insult to them. Kenny, alongside Moxley and Jericho, are in a tier all of their own in the AEW singles division just based on star power. Eddie is realistically in the tier below that with guys like Archer and PAC, and honestly I'd rank Cage a spot below that as the dude has been pretty much relegated to midcard.

Cage and Kingston are good. Cage and Kingston also aren't known to any single *casual* fan. Having either of them beat Kenny would be a bad move this early in AEW's lifespan, and AEW know this. They've been very careful about who they've given title runs to vs who they've tested as challengers. 

Sting is 60 something. Him beating anyone for any title right now is a major booking mistake, and him beating the best wrestler on your roster when he can barely take a bump? Madness. Realistically, I don't see Sting wrestling much at all. An eventual match with Jericho and Cody, and maybe a tag match teamed with Darby, but dude's gonna be taking it easy me thinks. Likewise, I think AEW has seen legends return and flop in WWE (Goldberg for example) and I don't think they'd wanna do that with Sting.

Hangman has been booked as a guy climbing the ranks, and has slowly become one of the most over dudes on the roster. Even so, he's still not in that upper tier that I mentioned, but I think he's the first person they're gonna be willing to trust hold that belt outside of that group. And the story with him and Kenny is there. It's been there, and it's waiting to be untapped. With all due respect to Sting, there is zero ways in which Hangman beating him in 2021 gives him a bigger rub than a conclusion to a long term story with the biggest heel in the company after such a long term character arc. It's maybe not the biggest surprise, but it's the best story, and AEW is huge on the story aspect.

[Generations]

I think it's a long ways off, and there really isn't anyone right now. Someone needs to be groomed for that spot, and it will probably take the entirety of 2021, if not longer.

 

If I had to pick someone right now...I'd say Hangman. 

Edited January 4 by Generations

[BrandonX]

I honestly can't see it being anyone BUT Hangman, but it should be a good long while before it happens.

[BestInTheWorld614]

I have a feeling it will be Cody. I know he can’t challenge for it now but if the Impact storyline continues for the majority of the year, I see AEW turning to Cody to get the title back.

[Lunchbox]

3 hours ago, BestInTheWorld614 said:

I have a feeling it will be Cody. I know he can’t challenge for it now but if the Impact storyline continues for the majority of the year, I see AEW turning to Cody to get the title back.

That actually made me throw up in my mouth a bit.

[BestInTheWorld614]

4 hours ago, Lunchbox said:

That actually made me throw up in my mouth a bit.

Not what I want but something I could see happening. For who I want, I’m good with Hangman or Darby

[Lunchbox]

Oh I know lol but when i read it i was like Cody would1000000% do something like that.

[wendigosong]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:49 PM, Counting Lights said:

I'm not saying either Cage or Kingston is bad. But they are not on Kenny's level. That's not an insult to them. Kenny, alongside Moxley and Jericho, are in a tier all of their own in the AEW singles division just based on star power. Eddie is realistically in the tier below that with guys like Archer and PAC, and honestly I'd rank Cage a spot below that as the dude has been pretty much relegated to midcard.

Cage and Kingston are good. Cage and Kingston also aren't known to any single *casual* fan. Having either of them beat Kenny would be a bad move this early in AEW's lifespan, and AEW know this. They've been very careful about who they've given title runs to vs who they've tested as challengers. 

I'm not saying that you are insulting them, but I am disagreeing with your premise.  Brian Cage, Eddie Kingston, PAC, and to the same extent Lance Archer (since you brought him up) are all on the same level as Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, and Chris Jericho.  There is nothing that the latter can do in the ring that the former cannot.  The fact that the latter are showcased on the program is neither here nor there, because the fact is that anyone of them could step into the spot of Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, and Chris Jericho (if they were injured) and make it work.  It feels like you are equating a wrestler's effectiveness or ability with the buzz they have or their position on the card.  My point is any of them would be right at home on top and all would provide Kenny Omega with an interesting match and could work as a champion.

On 12/23/2020 at 7:49 PM, Counting Lights said:

Sting is 60 something. Him beating anyone for any title right now is a major booking mistake, and him beating the best wrestler on your roster when he can barely take a bump? Madness. Realistically, I don't see Sting wrestling much at all. An eventual match with Jericho and Cody, and maybe a tag match teamed with Darby, but dude's gonna be taking it easy me thinks. Likewise, I think AEW has seen legends return and flop in WWE (Goldberg for example) and I don't think they'd wanna do that with Sting.

I don't see him wrestling much at all either.  However, I'm not as sure that it would be a "major booking mistake" if the storyline was handled well.  This is really a matter of person taste, but if it would happen, the way to get the most from it would probably to have a situation where Sting beats Omega and then Hangman beats Sting.  Then you can have the confrontation between Omega and Hangman with Hangman as the defending champion.

 

On 12/23/2020 at 7:49 PM, Counting Lights said:

Hangman has been booked as a guy climbing the ranks, and has slowly become one of the most over dudes on the roster. Even so, he's still not in that upper tier that I mentioned, but I think he's the first person they're gonna be willing to trust hold that belt outside of that group. And the story with him and Kenny is there. It's been there, and it's waiting to be untapped. With all due respect to Sting, there is zero ways in which Hangman beating him in 2021 gives him a bigger rub than a conclusion to a long term story with the biggest heel in the company after such a long term character arc. It's maybe not the biggest surprise, but it's the best story, and AEW is huge on the story aspect.

I think this is illustrative of the disconnect between us on this topic.  You are trying to apply a logic to your argument based on storyline when the question is really just one of preference and creativity.  For me, Hangman being the guy that retires Sting from in ring competition puts Kenny in an interesting position from a storyline perspective both as a challenger and a guy who lost a fantasy match against an icon.  And his spiritual nemisis then beat him for the title.  You still get the Kenny Omega vs Hangman Page match just with an interesting additional layer.

[Lunchbox]

Omega isn't a big star to anyone outside of NJPW and AEW to be honest.  

[PaperThinWalls]

Yeah, he definitely isn’t. And Cage, PAC, Kingston, and Archer are even more unknown.

Having Sting become champion and then lose it to Hangman is creatively weird and would utterly be disastrous. It’s a pointless detour that accomplishes little other than putting Hangman in great danger of becoming a heel because in my world having Hangman beat a old-man with a bad neck who is also a super-iconic-babyface screams HEAT to me. Plus, no one would buy Sting as champion. Everyone knows he has a bad neck and with that bad neck means he needs to be majorly protected — which means the match will be really, really limited. Just imagine it. A guy who can’t take a bump on his neck. And before you say do a cinematic matches... That would be so insulting and tacky to have a World-title change in a match like that.

[Creepia]

MJF after he's usurped the Inner Circle from Jericho and has them all doing diabolical shit for him. 

Edited January 18 by Creepia

[wendigosong]

8 hours ago, PaperThinWalls said:

Having Sting become champion and then lose it to Hangman is creatively weird and would utterly be disastrous. It’s a pointless detour that accomplishes little other than putting Hangman in great danger of becoming a heel because in my world having Hangman beat a old-man with a bad neck who is also a super-iconic-babyface screams HEAT to me. Plus, no one would buy Sting as champion. Everyone knows he has a bad neck and with that bad neck means he needs to be majorly protected — which means the match will be really, really limited. Just imagine it. A guy who can’t take a bump on his neck. And before you say do a cinematic matches... That would be so insulting and tacky to have a World-title change in a match like that.

I disagree that no one would buy Sting as a champion.  I also disagree that it would be  "creatively weird."  I see it more as using Sting as a plot device in the overarching Omega vs Page feud.  Your issue appears to be with his inability to perform.  If that was not an issue would that still be your position?  As far as his current in ring abilities, if your assessment of his health is correct, I would agree and I could understand your point of view.  If he does have one more match in him as he has said, then I see no reason why the storyline can't be done.

[Creepia]

If Sting is gonna be wrestling then he only needs to be in tag matches w/ Darby.

[PaperThinWalls]

1 hour ago, wendigosong said:

I disagree that no one would buy Sting as a champion.  I also disagree that it would be  "creatively weird."  I see it more as using Sting as a plot device in the overarching Omega vs Page feud.  Your issue appears to be with his inability to perform.  If that was not an issue would that still be your position?  As far as his current in ring abilities, if your assessment of his health is correct, I would agree and I could understand your point of view.  If he does have one more match in him as he has said, then I see no reason why the storyline can't be done.

It is correct. He has cervical spinal stenosis. He has confirmed this himself. It doesn’t matter what my position would be if he didn’t have that issue because the reality is he does and that’s a mega risk. One bad bump and he’s done. It’s possible to work around it but unfortunately that would entail ways that are not suitable or worthy for a World-title singles-match.

(Also, your idea requires TWO matches minimally: a match where he wins it and a match where he loses it.)

[wendigosong]

59 minutes ago, PaperThinWalls said:

It is correct. He has cervical spinal stenosis. He has confirmed this himself. It doesn’t matter what my position would be if he didn’t have that issue because the reality is he does and that’s a mega risk. One bad bump and he’s done.

Perhaps someone should tell either AEW about that as their plans are for Sting to wrestle one more match:

https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2020/12/sting-reportedly-wrestling-for-aew-677789/

In fact, perhaps someone should tell Sting about that as he apparently (at least in June of last year) feels he has one more match left in him as well:

https://www.themix.net/2020/07/sting-hopeful-for-one-more-match-ec3-releases-aew-tease/

So I really don't think this is as cut and dry as you think it is.

1 hour ago, PaperThinWalls said:

It’s possible to work around it but unfortunately that would entail ways that are not suitable or worthy for a World-title singles-match.

This point is really an issue of personal taste.  But I think creatively AEW has a better chance of bringing it to fruition than WWE.

1 hour ago, PaperThinWalls said:

(Also, your idea requires TWO matches minimally: a match where he wins it and a match where he loses it.)

Both could occur on the same night in a match where he wins the title from Omega or Page, then defends it immediately after winning it and loses the title to either Omega or Page.  Technically it would be two matches lasting a total of maybe 18 or 20 minutes.  Or it could be a 3 Way Dance for the title.  The point is there are ways it could be done and at least the parties involved seem to be open to the concept.

[PaperThinWalls]

It's literally two matches. Occuring on the same night does not make it not two matches. So you getting hung up on him saying "One match" I find funny because you've booked him in one more match than he apparently wanted. lol

And I never said he can't wrestle a match. I'm saying he shouldnt be wrestling a world title match like you're ridiculously proposing because it'll make him and AEW look like a complete joke. There are limitations that would need to be made to ensure his safety and these limitations should be so limiting that it wouldn't be worth slotting him into a world title feud. Tag match with Darby? Sure. A quick squash against some midcard jabroni? Why the hell not? A World-title match or two? Absurd. If AEW wants to be seen as respectable, professional company (which in all honesty, they have yet to do), they should not have a 61-year-old with cervical spinal stenosis compete and win in a world-title match. And now you're saying it's possible he can wrestle two matches for a total of 20 mins in one night? Stop. When it comes to a guy at this age with his condition the best policy is to air on the side of caution and be as safe as humanly possible and that idea is the furthest thing from that.

[wendigosong]

1 hour ago, PaperThinWalls said:

It's literally two matches. Occuring on the same night does not make it not two matches. So you getting hung up on him saying "One match" I find funny because you've booked him in one more match than he apparently wanted. lol

So one 18 to 20 minute match makes more sense to you than breaking up that same time?  My point of view is that it is 18 to 20 minutes of work.  If it is broken up for the sake of storyline, that doesn't make it any different.  I was quoting what the parties were indicating was a possibility and attempting to break it up in order to get the most out of the situation.  However, it seems it is you that is focusing on the words, "one match."

1 hour ago, PaperThinWalls said:

And I never said he can't wrestle a match. I'm saying he shouldnt be wrestling a world title match like you're ridiculously proposing because it'll make him and AEW look like a complete joke. 

Isn't that just really a matter of opinion?  Seriously, if they booked that would you at that point just stop watching the show?

1 hour ago, PaperThinWalls said:

There are limitations that would need to be made to ensure his safety and these limitations should be so limiting that it wouldn't be worth slotting him into a world title feud. Tag match with Darby? Sure. A quick squash against some midcard jabroni? Why the hell not? A World-title match or two? Absurd. If AEW wants to be seen as respectable, professional company (which in all honesty, they have yet to do), they should not have a 61-year-old with cervical spinal stenosis compete and win in a world-title match. 

For the record, you are the one that used the term "feud."  I prefer to have him as a plot device in the over-arching feud between Omega and Page, and not for Sting himself to have a feud.  All the parties believe it is on the table and it seems like one match has been negotiated.  If AEW and Sting want the match to occur, they are in a better position to dictate whether it should or should not happen than you.  I as a fan would like to see it happen.  I you would not, more power to you, however, you are not the be all end all of wrestling storylines nor the arbiter of what constitutes a "respectable, professional company;" whatever you subjectivly think that means.  

Edited January 19 by wendigosong

[PaperThinWalls]

What? Reread my post. He shouldn’t be wrestling 18 to 20 mins, period. Not in one match. Not in a combination of two matches in one night. Not at all. In fact, let me go a step further. NO ONE should wrestle that length of time during the pandemic. 20 mins is too long and you want a 61 old guy with spinal stenosis to do that in some form? What in the world?

Yeah, it’s a matter of opinion. An opinion that many share. You are the only person I have seen who seriously wants Sting as AEW champion.

And btw, I’m pretty confident AEW wouldn’t dare make Sting their World champion. Even though I have a low opinion of them, I think Tony Khan is smarter than that. But say he’s not... well, it further gives credence to my low opinion of them. That’s all.

[Counting Lights]

I'm still missing the point of Sting being involved from a creative perspective. 

The whole arc of Kenny and Hangman is Hangman dealing with his demons, Kenny accepting it for a while before giving up on him and pushing him away when Adam needed him most, with Page now hitting the lowest of lows.

Hangman will likely join the Dark Order to better steady himself to climb the ranks again. He'll get some solid wins to prove to himself that he can overcome his demons, and eventually earn that shot at Kenny, who likely still doesn't take Page seriously. That match is so obviously a make or break for Page. Finally he gets a chance to prove to Kenny, the fans, and most importantly to himself just how good he is.

But you're suggesting that instead of the obvious match, they throw Sting in there to disrupt that natural story because... reasons? Like I understand being a fan of Sting, no shame in that, but for the life of me I don't see the point of him getting in between Kenny and Page.

Hold up. This is basically Jon Snow being the primary character involved in the White Walkers arc but then never even facing off with the Night King in the Long Night because they had Arya run in and kill him first. Underdog Face who is clearly meant to fight the Big Bad and then some random other popular face takes the kill, derailing the entire feuds momentum. And we saw how well that was received...

[PaperThinWalls]

It is pretty backwards to have Omega chase Hangman without Hangman beating Omega for the title first. Makes no sense with the story they've built.

[Creepia]

I can't believe there are people in the world who even want to see Sting as AEW champ. I like that he's part of the company and I'm sure they can find a niche for him, but not as AEW champ.