AEW's Newest Must-See Star, What's Next for WWE Releases, More Quick Takes

Even with this year's pair of Grand Slam specials in the rear view, All Elite Wrestling still has an exciting stretch of shows on tap for the remainder of 2023, making it all the more important that it has stars and storylines firing on all cylinders.

The success of the MJF-Adam Cole angle is well-documented, along with Christian Cage's exemplary work as TNT champion. But Toni Storm has quickly emerged as one of the promotion's most must-see acts as of late and will continue to be one to watch going forward.

Last week also saw several Superstars depart WWE via a round of releases that included former champions Dolph Ziggler and Matt Riddle as well as longtime talents Shelton Benjamin, Mustafa Ali and Elias.

In addition to analyzing where WWE went wrong with each of them, fans have also started to speculate where they might end up once their non-compete clauses expire at the turn of the year.

This week's Quick Takes will discuss some of their most likely landing spots, an AEW tag team that will benefit from going their separate ways, a SmackDown duo on the ascent, and more.

How Toni Storm Has Become One of AEW's Hottest Commodities

Toni Storm has been among the handful of stars who have excelled since jumping from WWE to AEW in the last two years.

She shined on every brand she was a part of while with WWE and is already a two-time women's champion in AEW, yet the best character work of her entire career has come in the past two months.

The Outcasts, a group of ex-WWE renegades consisting of Storm, Saraya and Ruby Soho, never quite found their footing together, and Storm's second stint as champ was never booked with much importance.

It wasn't until she dropped the title that she became infinitely more interesting by going off the deep end and adopting a Marilyn Monroe-esque gimmick. Her mic time has increased considerably and she's made every minute matter.

It has reflected in her matches as well, specifically her excellent performance against Saraya for the gold on the Grand Slam edition of Dynamite. Her latest loss will only add another layer to her compelling character.

Storm has always been undeniable in the ring, but this total transformation will be what takes her to the next level.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller Will Benefit from Stint in Tag Team Scene

From beating John Cena at WrestleMania 39 to essentially becoming an afterthought on SmackDown, the booking of Austin Theory in 2023 has been rather inconsistent, to say the least.

The best thing WWE could have done with him following his forgettable run as United States champion was hit the reset button, and that appears to be exactly what's happened.

His segment with The Rock aside, he's largely been paired with Grayson Waller in recent weeks. The two have shown terrific chemistry both on the mic and in the ring, and they have gone undefeated as a duo.

The tag team ranks are the perfect place for both of them for now before the rehabbing of Theory as a singles star can begin. It also gives Waller a recurring role on SmackDown beyond hosting his talk show every week.

The idea should be to build them up for an eventual Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship shot, and regardless of whether they win or lose, they'll benefit greatly from teaming together for the foreseeable future.

Recent Standout Matches Prove New Day Are Long Overdue for Singles Runs

While Austin Theory and Grayson Waller are on the ascent in WWE's tag team division, The New Day should be on the verge of breaking back into singles competition.

Of course, that does not, should not and will not result in the group breaking up. It's entirely possible for both Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to have successful singles runs while continuing to team on occasion.

That has been especially evident in the last two weeks, with Woods and Kingston having standout matches against Drew McIntyre and Ivar, respectively. They've proved they have more value on their own than they do facing the same few teams and chasing the tag titles for the umpteenth time.

New Day will inevitably hold gold again as a unit, but as seen in the first half of 2023 when they were involved in the Intercontinental Championship mix, there's many more fresh matches for them to have outside of the confines of the tag team division.

Their individual accolades make them strong assets to Raw's midcard scene, and the option for them to join forces when necessary is always available.

Chris Jericho-Sammy Guevara Split Puts Both Back on Track

Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara had nothing left to gain from remaining partners after almost four years. Thus, the latter's betrayal of the former moments removed from their great match at Grand Slam last Wednesday was long overdue.

Both in Inner Circle and Jericho Appreciation Society, Guevara was positioned as inferior to Jericho. Although the alliance worked to get him exposure on AEW programming early on, he eventually outgrew the sidekick role and should have cemented his split from The Ocho a while back.

Pitting the two in a feud against each other is the best use of both going forward.

As an established manager with strong heel heat, Don Callis should be able to elevate Guevara in the long run, provided he doesn't become a background player again. The Spanish God has always been a natural heel, and it's the perfect pairing on paper.

Meanwhile, the babyface turn freshens up a stagnant Jericho and should see him work on his own for the first time in AEW. A decisive Guevara victory is the only way their rivalry can come to an end.

Predicting What's Next for Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali and Other WWE Releases

WWE's latest round of releases resulted in a handful of supremely skilled stars being let go last week, but it's merely a matter of time before they end up elsewhere and shine brighter than before.

Having been previously scheduled to challenge for the NXT North American Championship at No Mercy this coming weekend, Mustafa Ali was perhaps the most surprising name of the bunch. His tremendous in-ring ability would make him a smart pickup for AEW, but with a high risk of getting lost in the shuffle, Impact Wrestling might be a better fit at first.

Dolph Ziggler will find success anywhere he goes being the notable name he is, making AEW the obvious top choice for him. He won't be winning its world title (nor should he at this stage), but he can mix it up with a number of fresh faces and remind fans what he's capable of.

Matt Riddle can be an awesome asset to any promotion, but only after addressing and rectifying the issues that reportedly cut his WWE tenure short.

Elias, Maximum Male Models and Rick Boogs would all thrive in Impact, which gives wrestlers from all over the opportunity to reinvent themselves. Emma has history there and can bring her soon-to-be husband Riddick Moss with her, while Shelton Benjamin returning to Ring of Honor would be logical.

As one door closes, many more will open for each of these talented individuals.

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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.