Post by Chiral on Apr 17, 2024 20:35:14 GMT -5
Omega's world title run from 2020-21 was one of the best world title runs in AEW's history, and I think it's time we get another men's world champ that has that kind of "dominant villainous force that builds to a triumphant good guy vanquishing them" energy. We've seen that in some other divisions like with Christian's TNT title run, but it's been a while since there's been a true big bad in the men's world title scene. Joe's a heel world champ at the moment, but he doesn't have that same main villain vibe as Omega did, I think because Joe's so respected at this point in his career that he gets a lot of cheers no matter what he does.
MJF was positioned as one in 2022 but didn't work for a few reasons, namely his early championship run heel work being a mix of good and awful, no narrative built up for anyone to beat him and no seemingly longterm plan for it for a while than "MJF holds the title for a really long time" and then him getting too beloved to keep him heel. It was clear Cole was supposed to be the next big bad with the Devil business, but then he got injured and who knows how long he'll be out.
With Swerve likely soon to be world champ, it might be too soon to be thinking of the next main villain, but it's something I've been daydreaming about lately so here's who I've been thinking of.
Adam Cole: If he does come back relatively soon, I could see them getting plans for him as the top villain, but UK would need significant heating up and pretty much a reboot with new members and such.
Kazuchika Okada: If I had to pick any one person on the roster for this role, it'd be him. He has extensive experience as an ace, and while it might be well trodden territory him as a final boss heel champ in AEW would be different enough for it to work I think. He just won the Continental belt though so it may be a while for him.
Jack Perry: This one's maybe out there and I don't know if it would work since he's probably gonna get half cheers whenever he comes back, but I imagined them doing something like Okada's first NJPW world title reign where he suddenly and shockingly wins the top title, with the Bucks as his collective Gedo as managers. I fully expect someone to be like "how dare you compare Okada to Jungble Boy" but I mean it more in the "hotshot to the top" role than comparing their abilities directly.
Konosuke Takeshita: Absolutely has the in ring chops to be an unstoppable world beater champ, and his defenses would be amazing if they had the energy of his Omega and Ospreay matches. Maybe would need to get away from the Callis family or significantly heat them up.
Powerhouse Hobbs: I'd love to see Hobbs just deluxe squash a champ on a seemingly random title defense and then run with him as a monster from there. As with Takeshita, the Callis family stuff could be an issue.
Jay White: Would need significant heating up after the Daddy Ass Incident but he has the chops to do it.
Will Ospreay: Definitely could pull it off, but I can't see crowds wanting to boo Ospreay anytime soon, so he's probably gonna be a face for the time being.
Hangman Page: If they keep going with his heel turn, he'd be an easy person to be Swerve's main enemy and there's probably some fun to be had with the former hero being the current main villain, with Swerve eventually dethroning him probably.
Someone else: Maybe someone else comes into the picture and doesn't need significant heating up. Like a big signing that shows up out of nowhere ready made to be the top baddie. Or Sammy comes back and does a Ridge Holland esque "injures people for real (in a work) being an oaf" gimmick that he rides to the main event scene. Or Father But takes the title and squashes every challenger like the Jay White match until people are begging for a hero to make this dude take one bump. Or someone else on the roster that I'm probably forgetting.
Whoever it is, I think it's time AEW starts showing the next main villain of the men's division start their machinations and stuff and push them toward taking over.
MJF was positioned as one in 2022 but didn't work for a few reasons, namely his early championship run heel work being a mix of good and awful, no narrative built up for anyone to beat him and no seemingly longterm plan for it for a while than "MJF holds the title for a really long time" and then him getting too beloved to keep him heel. It was clear Cole was supposed to be the next big bad with the Devil business, but then he got injured and who knows how long he'll be out.
With Swerve likely soon to be world champ, it might be too soon to be thinking of the next main villain, but it's something I've been daydreaming about lately so here's who I've been thinking of.
Adam Cole: If he does come back relatively soon, I could see them getting plans for him as the top villain, but UK would need significant heating up and pretty much a reboot with new members and such.
Kazuchika Okada: If I had to pick any one person on the roster for this role, it'd be him. He has extensive experience as an ace, and while it might be well trodden territory him as a final boss heel champ in AEW would be different enough for it to work I think. He just won the Continental belt though so it may be a while for him.
Jack Perry: This one's maybe out there and I don't know if it would work since he's probably gonna get half cheers whenever he comes back, but I imagined them doing something like Okada's first NJPW world title reign where he suddenly and shockingly wins the top title, with the Bucks as his collective Gedo as managers. I fully expect someone to be like "how dare you compare Okada to Jungble Boy" but I mean it more in the "hotshot to the top" role than comparing their abilities directly.
Konosuke Takeshita: Absolutely has the in ring chops to be an unstoppable world beater champ, and his defenses would be amazing if they had the energy of his Omega and Ospreay matches. Maybe would need to get away from the Callis family or significantly heat them up.
Powerhouse Hobbs: I'd love to see Hobbs just deluxe squash a champ on a seemingly random title defense and then run with him as a monster from there. As with Takeshita, the Callis family stuff could be an issue.
Jay White: Would need significant heating up after the Daddy Ass Incident but he has the chops to do it.
Will Ospreay: Definitely could pull it off, but I can't see crowds wanting to boo Ospreay anytime soon, so he's probably gonna be a face for the time being.
Hangman Page: If they keep going with his heel turn, he'd be an easy person to be Swerve's main enemy and there's probably some fun to be had with the former hero being the current main villain, with Swerve eventually dethroning him probably.
Someone else: Maybe someone else comes into the picture and doesn't need significant heating up. Like a big signing that shows up out of nowhere ready made to be the top baddie. Or Sammy comes back and does a Ridge Holland esque "injures people for real (in a work) being an oaf" gimmick that he rides to the main event scene. Or Father But takes the title and squashes every challenger like the Jay White match until people are begging for a hero to make this dude take one bump. Or someone else on the roster that I'm probably forgetting.
Whoever it is, I think it's time AEW starts showing the next main villain of the men's division start their machinations and stuff and push them toward taking over.
![Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] Avatar](http://storage.proboards.com/3411247/avatar/SAmefOpXbCxSOR0DUtvP.jpg)
