Who Could Be the Major Surprise on AEW Collision’s Debut?

All Elite Wrestling getting a show on Saturday nights has been a rumor for a while. CM Punk returning on the first episode of this show has been talked about since AEW booked the United Center for the event. 

If that isn’t enough news, the rumors continue to swirl! Now the word is that there is expected to be either “another major name debut or return” on the show.

Who will it be? At this point, all we can do is speculate. So speculate we shall! Here are some options.

Read More: AEW Factions & Stables Guide

Who Will Debut on AEW Collision Episode 1

Kota Ibushi

Kota Ibushi has been rumored to be coming to AEW for quite a while, and he’s even mentioned that he might be more suited to AEW than to Japan. He clearly has friends in the company, and The Elite might need some back up in their battle with the Blackpool Combat Club.

Of course, the fact that Ibushi would likely work with the Elite if he were to become #AllElite is one reason why it’s unlikely he will debut on the new Saturday show. If the rumors are true, AEW will be working with sort of a soft (or not that soft, depending on who you ask) brand split, which will see CM Punk and the Elite kept primarily on different shows. If Punk is returning on the Saturday show, and Ibushi will likely be involved with The Elite, it would make sense for Kota to be on Dynamite instead.

Mercedes Mone

Ever since the former Sasha Banks left WWE, the rumors that she would come to AEW have been everywhere. They died down a bit when she didn’t show up in Los Angeles, but they never truly stopped. Now that Forbidden Door is on the horizon, could we see The CEO arrive in AEW to make a challenge for the NJPW/AEW event? It’s entirely possible.

Bill Goldberg

Bill Goldberg wants his big retirement match and he’s willing to do it without WWE if that’s what it takes.

While he may not be the guy you think of when considering who would fit in with the AEW roster, he’s definitely a big name and someone who could attract attention. Even Tony Khan thinks he’d be an interesting addition to All Elite Wrestling.

Would it work? Goldberg has certainly has his share of disastrous matches in recent years, but if he would be willing to put someone like Wardlow or Powerhouse Hobbs over clean, it might be something that AEW could try to make happen.

Miro

Moving on from possible debuts, here is a return that could happen on this show. Miro hasn’t been seen on AEW TV since he vanished into the Springfield Mystery Spot teamed up with Darby Allin and Sting to face the House of Black at All Out 2022. It’s been a long time.

Could the Redeemer be back soon? He was certainly a highlight during his reign with the TNT title, so it would be nice to see him on AEW television again.

Thunder Rosa

The former AEW Women’s Champion has been out with an injury since August 2022. At the time it was speculated that she’d be out at least “a few months.” It’s been a lot longer than that and hopefully her recovery is going well. It would be a big boost to the women’s division to have her back on TV.

Andrade El Idolo

Andrade is an interesting case. He had surgery in November to repair a torn pectoral muscle and he says he was injured during a trios match in August. Of course, it’s also rumored that he wanted out of AEW last year. He was also involved in a backstage “altercation” with Sammy Guevara in October, for which he may have been suspended.  Could he be back? While he says his AEW contract is up “soon”, he might still return to the company.

Kris Statlander

Kris Statlander was injured in August 2022 and underwent surgery in September. Could she be cleared to return by June 2023? No one really knows, but it would be nice to see her come back and potentially challenge Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship.

Ryback

If you want someone who can immediately feud with CM Punk, why not choose Ryback who…. yeah, this isn’t happening.