Buying or Selling These 10 WWE and AEW Stars Eventually Winning a World Title

As the WWE and All Elite Wrestling rosters continue to expand, it becomes more and more difficult for their members to reach the proverbial brass ring and win a world title.

Of course, the abundance of stars between the two companies makes that elusive accolade all the more meaningful, especially when world title reigns are so sporadic these days.

Seth Rollins has been world heavyweight champion since May, MJF has held the AEW World Championship since last November, and Roman Reigns has ruled over WWE as the undisputed universal champion for over three years.

Thus, it's going to be a special occasion when each of those titles change hands, and there's a whole crop of competitors in WWE or AEW at the moment who would be worthy of that honor.

There are just as many potential prospects—if not more—who will likely never have the chance to capture a top title. They may be too creatively damaged or have already peaked, but regardless of the reason, they're bound to remain at a certain level for the rest of their run in their respective company.

In this buy-or-sell scenario, let's look at 10 WWE and AEW stars who will and won't eventually win a world title.

Buying: Adam Cole

His ongoing angle with MJF should see Adam Cole capture the AEW World Championship at some point.

When he initially challenged for the prestigious prize early on in his AEW run, it was apparent he was solely intended to be a stepping stone for then-champ "Hangman" Adam Page and nothing more.

It wasn't until Cole returned from injury at the onset of 2023 that he started building real momentum as a babyface. And even since the storyline started with MJF, he's leveled up as a true world championship-caliber competitor.

Although he was unsuccessful in unseating his "brochacho" at All In last month, a rematch between the two is inevitable. It would make sense for Cole to not only win the second go-around but also do so nefariously after doing "the right thing" cost him the gold in their original encounter.

Regardless of whether he's backed by a faction or not, Cole has what it takes to thrive atop the AEW totem pole, similar to every other promotion he's ever worked for.

Buying: Cody Rhodes

Needless to say, it's more a matter of when than if Cody Rhodes will be wearing world title gold in WWE, as that's what "finishing the story" is all about.

He came close at WrestleMania 39 when he challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, but he fell short in shocking fashion thanks to interference from Solo Sikoa.

Rhodes put his chase for the belt on hold to pursue a program with Brock Lesnar, but having wrapped up his rivalry with The Beast Incarnate, fans are anxiously awaiting his return to title contention on either Raw or SmackDown.

The World Heavyweight Championship would be a perfectly fine consolation prize, but the WWE title in particular is the one Rhodes specifically has his sights set on because it's the belt that always alluded his Hall of Fame father, Dusty Rhodes.

The American Nightmare is a made man in WWE with or without a world title, but it's virtually a lock that he'll fulfill his destiny at WrestleMania 40 when he ends Reigns' record-setting run to become champ.

Selling: Keith Lee

WWE had the chance to capitalize on Keith Lee when he was at his hottest around Survivor Series in 2019 but instead opted to keep him in NXT for another year. He was moved to the main roster in August 2020, but it was all downhill from there.

Although a brutal battle with COVID did put him on the shelf for six months in 2021, it's not as if WWE did anything of note with him creatively upon his return to the ring. He was relegated to the midcard and saddled with a silly Bearcat persona before being released that November.

Lee was given a clean slate when he signed with AEW in early 2022, but he was quickly slotted into a tag team with Swerve Strickland. As well as they worked together, the pairing prevented Lee from living up to his full potential as a singles star.

Despite splitting up nearly a year ago, they have yet to have their big blowoff, and Lee has been floundering ever since. Perhaps there's a bigger reason behind his infrequent appearances, but it's becoming increasingly clear that a world title isn't in his future.

Selling: Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle's exceptional in-ring ability is impossible to deny. His background in mixed martial arts has helped him stand out everywhere he's been, including WWE since signing five years ago.

However, he's never seemed to be able to get out of his own way.

Controversy has followed The Original Bro throughout his career and has hurt his chances of ever being a main event attraction, despite being over with the audience. That was especially evident last year when he went from headlining Extreme Rules where he beat Seth Rollins to being put in a comedy tag team with Elias before disappearing from WWE TV for four months.

Look no further than the way the company has booked him in 2023 for proof that officials are hesitant to elevate him up the card. He was largely spinning his wheels before being pulled from programming for another incident earlier in September.

It's possible he eventually earns himself a run with either the intercontinental or United States belts, but The Original Bro winning a world title appears to be out of the question.

Buying: Bryan Danielson

Recently released AEW star CM Punk joined the promotion in August 2021, and within nine months, he was AEW world champion.

Bryan Danielson arrived the following month but has yet to hold the prestigious prize, and not because he's been left out of the title picture. In fact, he's received four shots at the strap since December 2021 and was unsuccessful on every occasion.

That's likely because AEW recognizes The American Dragon doesn't need a title to feel special, similar to Shawn Michaels from 2002 to 2010. He'll be recognized as one of the best (and most selfless) wrestlers in the world regardless.

That doesn't mean the 42-year-old shouldn't have one last hurrah on top before he calls it quits, though.

Danielson recently announced his intentions to transition into a part-time schedule starting sometime in 2024. He'd have to capture the championship before then, and while he won't be the one to dethrone MJF (he already failed at Revolution 2023), there's a strong chance of him winning it from the next person in what would be a monumental moment.

Selling: Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura is no stranger to holding gold, or world titles for that matter. He's a multi-time intercontinental and United States champion in WWE as well as a former IWGP heavyweight champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

The WWE, universal and world heavyweight championships have always alluded him, though.

He was on the brink of becoming a perennial main event player in 2018 when he won the men's Royal Rumble match and went on to fight for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34. He not only fell short at that event but also at every pay-per-view that followed throughout his feud with AJ Styles.

He was bumped down to midcard status immediately after and never fully recovered, but he has found himself back in the World Heavyweight Championship mix with Seth Rollins as of late.

Interestingly, The King of Strong Style has been doing some of his best character work in WWE as a heel, but all signs point to him being a filler feud for The Visionary before moving on to more credible contenders.

The company missed its window to crown Nakamura world champ when he was at the peak of his popularity five years ago.

Selling: Sammy Guevara

Almost since AEW's inception, MJF, Darby Allin, Jack Perry and Sammy Guevara have been looked at as the "four pillars" of the promotion, yet MJF is the only one to achieve world title glory so far.

Guevara was the least likely to emerge from their Four-Way match at Double or Nothing 2023 as world champion because of how he's been booked throughout his AEW run.

As a three-time TNT champion, he's been far from a failure, but that may just be his ceiling. He has been Chris Jericho's lackey for the better part of the past four years and isn't much closer to winning a world title now than he was then.

He's one of AEW's most established acts, but whether it's been as a babyface or as a heel, he hasn't been believable at the main event level. That could change following his feud with Jericho, but there are plenty of people who should get a run with AEW World Championship before him.

AEW only having one world title (not counting the Ring of Honor World Championship) will make it that much more difficult for Guevara to climb that ladder.

Buying: Gunther

Gunther's outstanding work as intercontinental champion has taken the title to heights it hasn't reached in decades, and it's only the beginning of what he can accomplish in WWE.

He's gone undefeated by pinfall in one-on-one action since making his main roster debut in April 2022 and has put together a remarkable résumé of matches along the way.

In the process, The Ring General has brought back prestige to the Intercontinental Championship and been booked as one of WWE's most dominant stars.

Now that he's broken The Honky Tonk Man's record for longest IC reign, WWE can start looking toward him losing the title so he can be freed up for a run in the main event scene, where he belongs.

As of now, the 36-year-old should be considered the front-runner to win the men's Rumble match come January and punch his ticket to WrestleMania 40. As previously noted, Roman Reigns is bound to be busy with Cody Rhodes, leaving Gunther to vie for the World Heavyweight Championship.

It's safe to assume WWE's decision to keep him and Seth Rollins apart so far has been intentional and will lead to the Austrian beating him for the title on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

It isn't imperative that it's then and there, but Gunther is guaranteed to be world champion before long.

Buying: Darby Allin

Sammy Guevara may not be world-champion material, but Darby Allin will most definitely reach the pinnacle of AEW sooner rather than later.

He's one of the company's biggest and brightest homegrown stars. He has held the TNT Championship on a handful of occasions, but he's also connected with the audience in a way Guevara and many others on the roster haven't.

Allin is the quintessential underdog babyface, and it's resulted in him having many standout matches and moments throughout his tenure in AEW. He's greatly benefited from his alliance with Sting and has even proved himself as a ratings draw in the past.

Much like Guevara, he didn't leave Double or Nothing as AEW world champion earlier this year, but his time on top is coming. Once he's finished chasing the TNT title, he should return to the main event picture and rekindle his rivalry with MJF from two years ago.

If it isn't Adam Cole ultimately dethroning MJF, Allin would be as logical of a choice as anyone (provided he can stay healthy and avoid injury). Either way, his eventual world title win will be worth the wait.

Selling: Austin Theory

At one time, Austin Theory was a sure-fire future world champion in WWE, but the abysmal booking he's endured the last two years has hurt the audience's perception of him considerably.

Vince McMahon endorsing Theory in early 2022 indicated he was on the fast track to superstardom, which was further enforced when he won the men's Money in the Bank ladder match that summer.

It was too soon for him to be wearing a world title around his waist at that point, but a gradual ascent up the card would have prepared him for such a run.

However, his opportunity was wasted with a failed cash-in, and the botched aftermath ensured he'd be banished to midcard purgatory indefinitely.

That includes a lukewarm win over John Cena at WrestleMania 39 and a forgettable nine-month run as United States champion. He's maintained a presence on SmackDown since losing the title but is nowhere near as much of a focal point as he once was.

At 26, he has his entire career ahead of him and can still bounce back, but his fall from grace could have been enough to convince WWE he isn't the main event player it previously pegged him to be.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.