The current talent sharing between AEW, NJPW, and Impact Wrestling has opened up many possibilities in terms of matches and stories between the three promotions. It’s also increased interest in inter-promotional trades.
Here are five inter-promotional trades I’d like to see that would benefit all parties involved.
For the purposes of this exercise, the ground rules are as follows:
- AEW/NJPW/Impact Wrestling will function as one combined entity because of the extent of their existing relationships.
- Other promotions (WWE, ROH, MLW, STARDOM, etc.) will be their own, with WWE the umbrella for all of its brands,
- Trades will be even, one-for-one.
- There will be no one-sided trades (i.e. Roman Reigns for Michael Nakazawa) as the purpose is to find trades that benefit all parties, including the wrestlers.
- Injury status will be considered, but not a determining factor in this fantasy world.
- These trades function more as talent-sharing, so salaries and payrolls will not be considered.
- The recently acquired CM Punk, Adam Cole, and Bryan Danielson will be exempt from these hypothetical trades.
Please remember that I’m basically fantasy booking here and your list will most likely be different. That’s fine.
With that, let’s move to the first trade.
5. Cesaro (World Wrestling Entertainment) for Jacob Fatu (Major League Wrestling)
Fatu is the long-reigning MLW World Heavyweight Champion, though his title is in extreme jeopardy as he faces MLW National Openweight Champion Alex Hammerstone on the Oct. 2 FIGHTLAND card in a title vs. title match.
An aside, watch that match! It will not only be a hard-hitting affair but undoubtedly (in my mind) one of the best matches of the year. Fatu and Hammerstone do amazing things in the ring for men their size.
Fatu’s moonsault is one of the best in the business, and that’s saying something considering his size. He can have a match with any style, and he makes fantastic use of facial expressions during matches.
Fatu is also the son of Sam Fatu, aka The Tonga Kid, and a part of the legendary Anoa’i family. He could slot right into The Bloodline alongside family members Reigns and The Usos to truly establish a dominant Anoa’i/Fatu stable in WWE. This could also lead to a future feud between the two big men of the four.
Cesaro has long been considered underutilized by WWE to many fans. His in-ring work is unimpeachable, but because he isn’t the best on promos, WWE has kept him solidly in the mid-card. His in-ring style is also one that isn’t quite a perfect fit for WWE style.
MLW, though, fits right in with Cesaro’s style, and beyond that, the diversity of styles in MLW makes matchups that much more intriguing. Cesaro can go hold-for-hold with technicians like Tom Lawlor, brawl with anyone, have lucha matches with the likes of LA Park and his sons, and any combination of matches with anyone.
While it would hurt for MLW to lose Fatu, who has anchored them through the pandemic, a Cesaro-Hammerstone feud for the MLW World Heavyweight Championship would be fun.
4. Jonathan Gresham (Ring of Honor) for Jon Moxley (All Elite Wrestling)
Gresham is one of the foremost technicians and grapplers in all of professional wrestling. He is a wizard in the ring that couples his prowess with charisma and personality.
Gresham had been dominant as the ROH Pure Champion since the rebirth of the title after ROH returned from their self-imposed hiatus during the pandemic (which they still don’t receive enough credit for, along with MLW). He recently lost the title to former Top Prospects Tournament winner Josh “The Goods” Woods. He has had fantastic matches and is now in line to fight toward the ROH World Championship.
He would bring an added measure of technical brilliance to AEW. Since most of the roster isn’t submission and grappling specialists, he also adds a wrinkle to AEW by bringing a different style and presentation, one that should get over with the AEW audience for the brilliance he displays.
Moxley, a former world champion in WWE and AEW, in a weird way, can do almost the opposite for ROH. With the code of honor and import on the Pure Championship, ROH could use a little bit of chaos and unpredictability.
This isn’t to say ROH doesn’t have some of this (just look at the recent feud between Shane Taylor Promotions and La Faccion de Ingobernable), but Moxley is on another level. His charisma and unique movements in addition to his in-ring style just seem cool. Moxley has only wrestled a few dark matches for ROH as well, about 14 years ago, so why not bookend that journey?
3. Giulia (World Wonder Ring Stardom) for Jordynne Grace (Impact Wrestling)
The ONE person on this list who should be on your radar if they already aren’t is Giulia. the Stardom, well, the star has been making waves in women’s wrestling for all the right reasons.
She is a stellar worker with a great character. The above recap of the championship hair vs. hair match is a microcosm of what she does so well (and Stardom, in general; seriously, go watch Stardom!). The work is snug and high impact, and the story being told throughout was one of neither wanting to relent until Giulia had nothing left.
The utter look of contempt on Giulia’s face as Tam Nakano readies to shave her head is marvelous.
Giulia would be a perfect candidate for some kind of talent exchange that really shows much of the West that Stardom is the place to be for women’s professional wrestling.
Grace has long been one of the top women’s wrestlers. She reigned as Impact Wrestling’s Knockouts Champion and puts on great matches no matter her foe. She has a great mix of styles between power and technical wrestling, and that endearing personality on social media comes through in her work as a wrestler.
Giulia could come right in and challenge Deonna Purrazzo for the title and put on a clinic. She could excel as both a babyface and heel, though I think in this scenario, keeping Giulia heel while turning Purrazzo face would be most effective. TNA/Impact once had the best women’s wrestling on the planet, and adding Giulia could be one step in regaining that mantle.
Grace, like Bea Priestly, had been in Stardom, could be the big bad gaijin that comes in and wrecks everyone using her size and strength advantage. The already snug nature of their matches could get an added bit of devastation with Grace and her power moves. Give me Grace taking on Jungle Kyona, Mayu Iwatani, Momo Watanabe, Syuri, and others in what should be fantastic matches.
2. Shane Taylor (ROH) for WALTER (WWE – NXT/NXT UK)
Look, I’ve been beating the drum for Shane Taylor for years now. He is absolutely fantastic as both an in-ring worker and a personality. What he’s done in elevating others through Shane Taylor Promotions while holding the ROH Television Championship for so long must be commended.
Taylor first came to my notice in his tag team with Keith Lee a good six or so years ago. Taylor’s improvement and rise since then is nothing short of amazing. He should be one of the best in the world during the remainder of this decade.
He does things in the ring that make your eyes pop; his athleticism belies his size, or at least what we’re told to think of people his size. He is a hard-hitter who is technically sound and excels in exuding charisma and passion through his matches. Watch how he works with STP in six-man tag matches to truly get a sense of the potential of Taylor.
Taylor would fit on either NXT brand, though it’s always enticing to think about a feud between him and former partner Lee on Raw. NXT 2.0, with a focus on larger wrestlers, could bring in Taylor and immediately slot him into the upper-card because of his abilities on the mic as well. In the UK, he could essentially replace WALTER, though their styles aren’t exact replicas.
WALTER could jump into ROH just as he is and fit seamlessly. “The mat is sacred” fits the ethos of the code of honor, and he could easily heel it up as the guy who takes honor and sacredness too far by caving in your chest.
WALTER could then have great feuds with anyone on the ROH roster: Gresham (in this scenario, it’s just Taylor for WALTER), Jay Lethal, Jay Briscoe, Brody King, Bandido, Rush, Woods, Dragon Lee, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and more. He could create another Imperium-like stable within ROH, a promotion that has never been short on stables.
1. Thunder Rosa (AEW) for Io Shirai (WWE – NXT)
Rosa has seen a meteoric rise in the past few years. From NWA Powerrr to competing in mixed martial arts to her memorable battle with Britt Baker, D.M.D. to debuting for Impact Wrestling against Purrazzo, no one’s stock may have risen as much as Rosa’s in that time.
For good reason, too, as she is wonderful in the ring with a defined character that exudes so much charisma and confidence that promos aren’t really necessary. Her look draws awe from the audience, and she has a solid in-ring style that reads realistic thanks to her MMA training. She’s improved to the point that she could carry a division.
Io Shirai, “Genius of the Sky,” has done it all in NXT. She was the most dominant champion on the brand during her tenure and had quality match after quality match regardless of her opponent. She didn’t need to but improved her English to enough of a point that she is now doing many segments in mostly English (her frienemy relationship with Zoey Stark is a good example).
For AEW, Shirai comes in having worked with many of the women in AEW from her time in Japan. Because of that, she also knows and understands Joshi style along with more Western-style wrestling, being able to meld them and utilize them depending on her opponent. Whether her opponent is Baker, Red Velvet, Nyla Rose, Kris Statlander, or Riho, Shirai can adapt easily. An unleashed Shirai kicking the heads off of people would be entertaining, to say the least.
Rosa in NXT then could fine-tune her wrestling for though many deride WWE style, there is no denying that it’s polished (sometimes too much). She also adds a unique character and presentation to NXT, particularly 2.0, where her “Dia De Los Muertos” face paint clashes well with the upbeat revamp of the brand. Rosa could have engaging feuds with Candice LeRae, Raquel Gonzalez, Dakota Kai, Kay Lee Ray, Sarray, Franky Monet, B-Fab, Elektra Lopez, and more.
I tried to balance the trades to benefit all parties, but there are other possibilities. What about The Young Bucks for The Usos? Utami Hayashishita for Shayna Baszler? Faccion de Ingobernable for Hit Row?
What are your thoughts?