News broke recently that Chris Jericho’s AEW contract is set to expire at the end of the year, fuelling speculation he may return to WWE.
Jericho was indispensable for AEW during its early years, and one role he particularly excelled in was as a commentator.
He was a permanent fixture at the announce table during much of Rampage’s run on Friday nights, delivering deep in-ring knowledge to the broadcast.
If Jericho does indeed leave AEW, the company may need another performer who can step into the commentary role with the same level of active in-ring expertise – here are five potential options AEW could consider.
5. Samoa Joe
AEW would be hard-pressed to find anyone with more in-depth in-ring knowledge than Samoa Joe.
Not only is Joe one of the greatest workers of his generation, but he also has experience in the commentary booth.
During the latter years of his WWE run, the company pulled him from in-ring competition and placed him on the commentary team for RAW, where he had an effective run for nearly a year before leaving and resuming his wrestling career with AEW.
Freed from WWE’s house style of commentary, it’s easy to imagine that the uber-charismatic Joe would be an even more effective commentator in AEW.
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4. MVP
Since arriving in AEW as part of the Hurt Syndicate last year, MVP has frequently joined the commentary desk.
MVP exudes an air of cool charisma – something he’s able to effectively express during his turns in the booth.
As a commentator, he applies his own in-ring experience while also doing a great job of getting wrestlers over.
Reportedly, MVP has been ruffling feathers backstage, not wanting his faction to lose matches, so perhaps a full-time move from manager to commentator would be beneficial for everyone involved.
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3. Colt Cabana
Colt Cabana was last seen on AEW programming as a commentator on the 19 July edition of Collision, where he was pulled from the booth and attacked, bloodied by Jon Moxley and the Death Riders.
However, this was far from the first time the veteran had been behind the commentary desk, Cabana has been commentating since his early days as an indie wrestler for IWA-Mid South in the early 2000s and also spent time in the booth during his various runs with Ring of Honor.
Cabana brings over two decades of wrestling experience to the table, along with a decidedly impressive encyclopedic knowledge of wrestling’s past.
Of the AEW roster, there are fewer individuals who are better suited for a permanent role in the commentary booth than Colt Cabana.
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2. Thunder Rosa
The commentary in AEW has been one of its strong suits since its inception – the announcers are not restricted from using certain terms and are free to discuss wrestling from outside the promotion.
However, one of the issues with AEW’s commentary has been its lack of female representation: the promotion has never had a permanent female presence in the commentary booth, which remains a glaring oversight.
Thunder Rosa has experience in the role, having served as a Spanish-language announcer for the promotion and given her suffering ongoing long-term injuries, a transition to a permanent position at the announce desk could be a positive move.
Charismatic and likable, Rosa could help address the current commentary gap in AEW, adding much needed representation.
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1. Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson retired from full-time in-ring action last year after losing the AEW World Championship to Jon Moxley at WrestleDream; nevertheless, the legendary in-ring worker has remained with the company and continues to appear on AEW programming.
One of his recent roles has been in the commentary booth: Danielson joined the announce team during AEW’s recent trip to the UK, appearing on the 20 August edition of Dynamite and again across much of the Forbidden Door PPV.
It was notable on both shows that “The American Dragon” excelled in the role, bringing a wholly different dynamic as he called the action like a legitimate sporting contest, explaining and unpacking the intricacies of the in-ring action.
There is arguably no one better suited for a permanent move to the commentary desk than Bryan Danielson.
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