AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door 2025 saw two big babyface talents for AEW’s male roster taken out of action. Swerve Strickland suffered further damage to his already hurt leg thanks to AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada and new Don Callis Family member, Wardlow.
Later on, the Death Riders, Young Bucks, and Gabe Kidd obliterated Will Ospreay with a Pillmanized chair to finish him off after their Lights Out Steel Cage war with an all-star babyface team.
Strickland and Ospreay are widely known among the AEW fanbase as high-caliber star talent. With them taking time off to nurture some real-life injuries, it’s only natural that AEW positions roster members to be in that spot. With naturally gifted heels on the roster, it’s time to elevate new talent to match that.
Who can fill their shoes? I’ve got a few ideas.
Brody King
Speaking of tag teams, BroDido left Forbidden Door as the new AEW World Tag Team Champions. Bandido’s already a Ring of Honor World Champion. Brody King, however, is a different story.
Once the heavy of the House of Black stable, he’s been a crowd favorite. A behemoth in size, one look at him immediately brings to mind a level of devastation he’d enter once in kinetic energy. King steps up when the time is right, whether facing David Finlay in NJPW’s Wrestle Dynasty or adding his muscle to multi-man tags.
His chemistry with Bandido inevitably increased both men’s charms. Fans are behind King, taking to him like flying insects to a zapper.
Moreover, King’s personality shows. Adorned in tattoos like a metalhead with a punk rock attitude, he embodies his values. At AEW Grand Slam: Mexico, he wore an ABOLISH ICE shirt, showing his solidarity with the immigrants in the United States. He regularly expresses his left-leaning views.
Plus, he’s got a fun personality, as though anyone who is respectful can hang out with him. King gives off the spirit of a large sheepdog, defending against any dire and ever-circling wolves nipping at him or his allies.
Mark Briscoe
The Sussex County Chicken’s rise in popularity amongst fans can be attributed to its multifaceted nature. Taking tragedy and turning it into hope, Mark Briscoe carries his tag team partner with his late brother to heart. His performances in the ring look as though Jay were by his side on the ropes or ringside, cheering him on. That’s a level of tag team spirit that can’t be found all too often.
Yet he doesn’t allow this to define him. Mark Briscoe’s typically the light of any group he’s in. He’s goofy and energetic, able to rile and hype up fans and co-horts alike seemingly effortlessly.
As seen by his current feud with MJF, he’s capable of dropping all silly pretenses. In his promos and in the ring, there’s his brother Jay beneath the surface. These peeled-back promos carry a weight to them that has altered his presence entirely.
Should AEW continue this tone for Briscoe, he could easily slide into Ospreay and Strickland’s unspoken roles. There’s a Terry Funk-ness to Briscoe, bolstered by an undying babyface spirit akin to WWE’s Sami Zayn. That’s a heart wholly invaluable to a company like AEW.
Konosuke Takeshita
Having recently won NJPW’s G1 Climax 35 in his native Japan, Konosuke Takeshita as a babyface wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory. His early AEW runs have such a quality to them that any fan could attach to. Even in defeat, he’d come out looking stronger. Coalescing that with his hard-hitting style and the fluidity of his movements, he feels unstoppable.
Currently, he’s a heel in the Don Callis Family. But Takeshita isn’t a heel for the sake of being a heel; he was overshadowed and overlooked to the point that he had to make a change and join the hairless evil manager. In being ruthless and taking what he wants, Takeshita rose as a villain and reaped the benefits for doing so.
Whether it’s the kayfabe rewards of belts and trophies or the real-life accolades from media and publications, he’s fought for what he’s gotten.
His time to become a babyface isn’t quite here yet, but the seeds are planted. Most importantly, fans sense this and are behind this. The story is already evident—he’s seething and jealous that Don Callis would keep adding “Family” members and forget about him. Using empathy, I’m sure that if this were the case, he’d worry about being replaced by shiny new toys.
This path could return him right to where he needed to be: a machine who never needed shady tactics to get ahead, just his grit and determination. He’s a babyface at heart.
Orange Cassidy
This AEW Original, according to an update on BodySlam’s Patreon, is already cleared. Orange Cassidy is cleared to return, currently awaiting a creative path back to programming. What better time than to stand against The Death Riders, Young Bucks, and Don Callis Family?
Cassidy spent the end of 2024 being the last babyface to step to the Death Riders, but remained unsuccessful. His last shot at singles gold was against Konosuke Takeshita, who soundly defeated him. Cassidy then spent 2025 struggling to qualify for gold once more. A torn pectoral has kept him out of action since approximately April.
In keeping with storyline continuity, it’d be wise to start an OC return with a fire in his belly. With ease, he rallies AEW fans with his intense movements and his comedic approach. Six years he’s wrestled for the company, so when’s it his time to win some big gold again?
Orange Cassidy is beloved and is a no-brainer to slot back into the spotlight.
Eddie Kingston
Another wrestler missing from action is none other than The Mad King, Eddie Kingston. Last seen losing his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship at NJPW STRONG Resurgence to Gabe Kidd, the Yonkers brawler has been rehabbing a gnarly injury. Healing from a torn meniscus, ACL, broken tibia, and possibly more, the path to recovery hasn’t been an easy one.
For fans who’ve followed his progress on Cezar Bononi’s fitness and coaching vlogs, Kingston’s bravely fought against the limitations that’ve impaired him thus far.
The hunger and desperation to re-enter the ring in his eyes is unmistakable. On a few occasions, he’s shared that he’s not sure he’d fit in with the new crop of talent coming in, but once he finally steps back through the curtain, he’ll hear the roar of fans who’ve longed for him during his absence.
And what a great time for him to return. The looming presence of AEW’s top heel groups is mighty. There’s enough for a rageful Kingston to chew on.
Though there isn’t even a crumb of a rumor of his return, an Eddie Kingston return would add emotional depth to the roster. With Kingston being a true worker, he’ll sell his leg like death; he’s as real as they come, and will elevate the drama by selling it.
Conclusion
There’s a wealth of wrestlers rising in AEW. An embarrassment of riches. As AEW continues its upswing momentum, hungry talent prove every week that it’s “where the best wrestle”. This creates an environment so intense that everyone competes for the top spot.
Currently, Hangman Page is the top babyface, and he’s the champ coming out of a sour-turned-sweet Death Riders storyline. He feels untouchable at this point. But he can’t do it alone. Of course, he has allies, but another singles star must step up.
With that said, the men’s singles division needs another beacon of hope to root for. These five talents I’ve covered have all the capabilities to back up the division while Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland recover. Personally, I’m investing in the Brody King stock.
What about you? Who could you see step up to the plate and prove that AEW is “where the best wrestle”?
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