The brackets for the men’s side of the first-ever AEW Owen Hart Memorial tournament is complete, with the promotion revealing that there will be one mystery competitor, codenamed “The Joker,” facing Samoa Joe in the opening round.
As accustom for AEW, Joe’s opponent will not be revealed until they square-off in a couple weeks, leaving plenty of room for exciting speculation as to who the mystery man will be. While there is a strong possibility it is a non-AEW talent, there are still a good number of options from the promotion’s already stacked roster. Below, in no particular order, are what I think are the four best possible scenarios.
Johnny Gargano
The former triple-crown NXT champion has been very missed since his departure from the brand last year, and has remained relatively quiet from the wrestling scene as he enjoys life at home as a new dad. However, an appearance for AEW, whether it’s a run just for this tournament or a full-time contract, could ignite this next chapter of his career. Also if there is one person who knows how to wrestle the AEW-style, Gargano is your guy.
Miro
Prior to his minor injury Miro had become one of the company’s hottest acts, whose Amadeus inspired Redeemer gimmick separated him from any memory of his WWE character. While Miro was mainly depicted as a heel the dedicated AEW faithful would certainly welcome him back with open arms, which could help catapult his gimmick into the main event scene. Furthermore, a Joe vs. Miro hoss fight seems like the most fitting war to kickstar this first-ever tournament.
Claudio Castagnoli
AEW on paper is the perfect home for Claudio. His body of work in WWE, especially inside the ring, has stood out for years, and kept him very popular with fans even when his push didn’t match what he could offer. We saw a glimmer of the babyface Swiss-Superman when he was going after the Tribal Chief, but what could that look like without any of the restrictions? Also he befittingly has been doing the sharpshooter for years.
Kenny Omega
If anyone really needed some time off in this industry, it was Omega. His run as the belt collector is even more impressive when you consider the number of lingering injuries, including vertigo, he had to work through during his 11-month reign. A return here not only gives AEW fans one of their all-time favorites back in active competition, but can serve as a layer to the eventual civil war in the undisputed elite. What happens if Omega beats Joe and has to potentially face-off with Kyle O’Reilly, or better yet, Adam Cole?
The Owen Hart Memorial tournament officially begins next week in Long Island, which will see Darby Allin battle Jeff Hardy and Dax Harwood face Adam Cole in the opening round. The other two first round matchups are Kyle O’Reilly against former tag champion Rey Fenix, and of course, Samoa Joe against our mystery man.
Discussion: Who is your guess for the Joker?
