Miro finally landed in AEW with a bang when he defeated Darby Allin for the TNT Championship on Dynamite. He had been around a while, but acting as more of a sideshow along with Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford. It was only a matter of time til Miro ditched them and started his rampage, which began a few weeks ago when he destroyed Sabian and put him on the shelf. As the strongest and one of the most athletic TNT Champions, it’s hard to see anyone beating him soon.
Miro is a beast, but it’s not impossible to get in his head and throw him off his game. If he was to lose it to anyone, it would be back to Darby Allin when he returns (if he’s injured?). In the meantime, Miro will continue building the legacy of AEW’s version of the Television Championship. We have to wonder who will suffer his wrath. Let’s look at Miro’s 5 most likely challengers to AEW’s TNT Championship.
Who Can’t Challenge?
- Orange Cassidy & Pac are challenging Kenny Omega at the PPV, so neither will be in the mix.
- Jon Moxley is teaming with Eddie Kingston against The Young Bucks, so while they ranked him in the top five, he isn’t challenging for the TNT title. He also has the IWGP US title to defend.
- While Brian Cage and Hangman Page are in the top five, AEW locked them in to a feud with each other, so it doesn’t look like they will face Miro either. This means if anyone challenges him, they won’t be in the top five as of the May 12 rankings.
- Cody Rhodes has challenged for the TNT title enough times and is feuding with QT Marshall’s students, so not expecting this for a long while.It would be detrimental to Miro to stick him against other heels, so if they want anyone outside established babyfaces to challenge, they will have to switch up their attitudes.
#1. Lance Archer
Already teased is a colossal clash between “The Best Man” and the “Murderhawk Monster”. Wasn’t Lance Archer teasing a feud with Sting? What happened to that? Anyway, the cool thing about this is it does both men a ton of good for their AEW careers. They have struggled to make an impact since signing with the company, so a scorching hot feud could be what the doctor ordered.
Archer is probably Miro’s biggest threat however, so if he can’t beat Miro, then who else can? The future looks bleak if Archer keeps on failing to win the TNT title. I’d love to see them swap the title back and forth. Not like a hot potato situation, but to highlight how evenly matched they are. You don’t need month long reigns to big up the importance of a championship.
#2. Christian Cage
He came to AEW looking for gold, so if he doesn’t win at Double Or Nothing, chances are he will go after Miro instead. Cage is one of those veterans who knows Miro enough to hinder his momentum, and fans around the world would love to see Christian get “one more match” for a title.
Miro will have the strength advantage, but Christian has beaten much bigger names for more valued prizes. At 2-0 though, he has some way to go til they deem him worthy of challenging for a title. He doesn’t want his time in AEW to fizzle out and end up underutilized like before, so any losses in the coming months aren’t something he can afford.
#3. Jungle Boy or Luchasaurus
AEW loves keeping Jungle Boy in the mix, so much so that I can see him earning another opportunity for the TNT title. He has a long career ahead, so losing to Miro in a competitive outing isn’t hurting him, if anything it gives him more credibility when he finally moves on from The Jurassic Express. But what I’d especially love to see is Luchasaurus standing on his own giant feet against Miro. If there is one thing AEW hasn’t got, it’s big men who could believably carry the company as World Champion.
Yes, it’s not like the old days when the biggest guys got everything handed to them, which is why they have to work extra hard in this era to prove they can draw. I think Luchasaurus has the potential to be as big of a household name as anyone on the roster, but he has gone under the radar for sometime now. When we had full crowds, they loved chanting for him. Could Miro & Luchasaurus tear the house down, even if it were just a onetime only deal?
#4. Frankie Kazarian
It feels like the splitting of SCU is as much about Kazarian’s career as it is Christopher Daniels. While it feels like Daniels is heavily considering retirement, Kazarian has a lot left in the tank. Frankie has spent much of the past few years teaming with Daniels and Scorpio Sky. So could this be the time he shines on his own? For anyone who watched him in TNA, they will know that he had successful stints as the X-Division Champion under his name and the masked character of Suicide.
As one of the best X-Division athletes of all time, Kazarian has what it takes to work anyone to a brilliant match. AEW needs a reliable hand like Frankie to build the next generation of talent. But in order to do that, they need to make him a threat, which means him challenging Miro and taking him to the limit. He won’t win, but any young guy who beats Kazarian will benefit from his outings with Christian, Miro and others.
#5. Rey Fenix
While I’m a huge fan of El Penta Zero M, it feels like AEW is more in to Rey Fenix because he’s like a modern day Mysterio. I can imagine kids watching in awe of the things he can do, while Penta probably isn’t appreciated as much for his interactions with the crowd (what happened to him turning heel?). Fenix is someone AEW wants to get over badly because it reflects in the merchandise sales. If you can get thousands of fans buying up masks worldwide, it’s great for business.
Let’s face it guys, wrestling promotions like money. Fenix is outstanding in the ring and his movement is like poetry. And going up against a much stronger opponent like Miro would stand to highlight his style more so. Power vs. Speed; it’s a classic combination. Imagine if Fenix won though?! That would be interesting. If there’s anyone outside of Darby Allin or Lance Archer who could put him away, it would be Fenix out of nowhere.
With that said, who would you like to see face Miro in the future? And who do you think can take it from him? Thanks for reading.
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