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The Top 5 AEW Stars That Should Be Action Stars
Image Credit: AEW
The Top 5 AEW Stars That Should Be Action Stars
I started out with the Top 5 WWE Raw Stars That Should Be Action Stars (check that out again here).
Then it was the Top 5 WWE Smackdown Stars That Should Be Action Stars (check that out again here).
And now, the Top 5 AEW Stars That Should Be Action Stars. It doesn’t need more of an intro than that, does it?
The Top 5 AEW Stars That Should Be Action Stars
Honorable Mentions
–Bryan Danielson: I’m not sure what sort of action flick Danielson should get the chance to star in/be a part of. He has a sense of humor, so he would probably do well in some sort of action comedy. But I can also see him starring in some sort of environmental themed action flick similar to what Steven Seagal did with On Deadly Ground. Either sort of movie would no doubt feature tons of flying knees. And that would be awesome.
–Orange Cassidy: I’m not a big fan of the Orange Cassidy persona (to me the whole slacker thing he does would play better as a manager/lackey/advisor as opposed to a full on pro wrestler) but there’s no question that Cassidy has plenty of ability. He can wrestle fairly well on the mat, but he’s probably best known for his high flying ability, which always seems to come out of nowhere. So that’s the kind of action flick Cassidy should be in: something totally unexpected.
–Kenny Omega: Kenny Omega as an action star seems like an easy fit as the guy is incredibly athletic. I’d suspect that, in terms of fight scenes and stunt work, Omega could probably do whatever is needed and do it well. But would Omega be believable as the star of a super serious action flick or would he have to be in something lighter/not as serious? Could he do a sort of Beverly Hills Cop type thing where he’s in Japan hunting down the people who killed his best friend? I think I’d like to see that movie.
5- Jade Cargill: Cargill is no doubt physically impressive but, as a wrestler, she’s still a bit too stiff and, at times, seemingly uncoordinated. But when she hits someone or completes a move it always looks devastating. So Cargill would be a good fit for a “top henchperson” role in action movie, at least for her first time out. But once she did a few movies, got a few performances under her belt, and got better in front of the camera, you could easily see her as the star of a female led Action Jackson. Heck, should could probably even become the female Ahnold Schwarzenegger. Who wouldn’t want to watch the gigantic Cargill go toe to toe with an even larger alien hunter or deadly robot assassin from the future? I bet Cargill could pull it off and be the next big hooha female star the action cinema world needs.
4- Adam Cole: The biggest problem with Cole’s AEW run so far is that he’s more often than not looked like a goof rather than a badass pro wrestler. Cole is obviously charismatic as hell and can be very funny, but, as we saw during his Ring of Honor run (I didn’t see him in NXT so I have no idea what he was like there), Cole also has the ability to be a full on badass. It would be cool to see Cole as the head of an evil biker gang or criminal enterprise of some sort (an expert jewel thief? Maybe a professional bank robber) and then, once he gets his cinematic feet wet with that movie, move on to being the star of something. He could continue to wear his leather jacket (that could be his calling card, always wearing a leather jacket at some point in the movie) and rock his long hair. It might help, though, if he bulked up a bit. He doesn’t have to get jacked like a Scott Adkins but he would need to find a way to look more physically impressive. I mean, The Miz in The Marine sequel he did doesn’t look like The Miz we see on Raw and Smackdown. Cole could do something like that and become a reliable action hero for years to come.
3- “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry: “Jungle Boy” Jack Perry is finally starting to come into his own. When I first saw him in AEW he came off like a perpetual sidekick. It wasn’t so much because he was smaller than most other pro wrestlers, especially his tag team partner at the time Luchasaurus, but because he always seemed to be unsure of himself. He didn’t talk all that much, and he always seemed to be following someone as opposed to being an equal. After his recent pay-per-view battle with arch rival and former mentor Christian Cage, I think it’s safe to say that Perry is now a full on star that can handle himself and be by himself. He isn’t a badass, but then he doesn’t have to be. He’s always going to be the guy that everyone underestimates. And then he’s going to beat you. That’s what a guy like Perry could do in an action movie. A guy you think is going to get his ass kicked, and then he just routs everyone and everything in his path. That would be cool.
2- Brian Pillman, Jr.: Brian Pillman, Jr., much like his father, is a natural athlete, or at least comes off as one. He also seems like a guy that you’re going to have to kill because he’s not going to give up. If he wants to take you out he’s going to do whatever it takes to do it. Pillman, Jr. also has a sweet mullet and that’s always a good thing to have in an action movie setting. So Pillman, Jr. could easily star in a Stone Cold remake or a Hard Target remake or sequel (JCVD, Scott Adkins, then Pillman, Jr.? That succession makes sense). And then, once all of those are successful, Pillman, Jr. can branch out into other kinds of action movies: serious ones, goofy ones, ones filled with all sorts of weird special effects. All of this could happen if Pillman, Jr. could get more TV time on Dynamite or even Rampage. He had that one sort of brief feud with MJF that didn’t seem to go anywhere. Why did Pillman, Jr. get discarded so quickly? He has all of the tools to be a big star in the ring and then on the movie screen. It should happen tomorrow.
1- Darby Allin : One of the most interesting things about Darby Allin is his devil may care attitude in the ring. There are plenty of pro wrestlers in the world who try to come off as daredevil types and you can tell that it’s just an act. You can’t tell what the heck is really going on with Allin. The face paint, the strange as hell little videos that he does, the whole skateboarding thing, is it all real or is it just bullshit? Again, you just can’t tell. So when he shows up to wrestle you just know that you’re going to see something you’ve probably never seen before. And Allin’s alliance with Sting gives off strong The Crow vibes (for obvious reasons). So that’s Allin’s “in” into the action movie world. Have Allin either star in a full on The Crow remake or do something similar. Let Allin be the sullen avenger looking to right the wrongs of the world. I think he would excel at it and I think the world would totally buy it. I also think it’s time for a full on skateboarding action star or at least someone that will take out a bad guy henchman with a skateboard. It just doesn’t happen enough in movies.
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