AEW is coming off a very successful 2025 where the company got back to basics and pleased fans with their pay-per-view output throughout the past 12 months.
Heading into 2026, fans should expect some changes to the landscape of the company in a variety of ways.
Whether it be significant alterations or returning stars coming back, AEW has the opportunity to adjust things to be even better than it was throughout this year in 2026.
Here are seven potential changes to AEW in 2026.
7. No More AEW Unified Championship
The ongoing Continental Classic tournament has become the focus of the company at the time of this writing.
This year’s tournament follows Kazuchika Okada defeating Kenny Omega to become the AEW Unified Champion, holding both the AEW Continental and International Titles.
There has been plenty of controversy in regards to Okada only putting the Continental Championship on the line in the C2 and thus going back on the Unified Championship.
While Okada could win the tournament, it feels like AEW might have a new wrestler win the C2 to become AEW Continental Champion and have “The Rainmaker” as only the International Champion for a little while.
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6. Konosuke Takeshita Leaves The Don Callis Family
Heading into the Continental Classic tournament, the issues and tension between Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada in the Don Callis Family had reached a boiling point.
Things had gotten to a fever pitch largely due to Okada trying to purposely get under the skin of Takeshita.
Wanting to prove himself to be better than Okada, Takeshita has entered himself into this year’s Continental Classic tournament and is one of the stars in contention to win it all at Worlds End 2025.
Takeshita leaving the Don Callis Family would be interesting and position him to become one of the biggest babyfaces in all of AEW right now.
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5. MJF Is Back
At AEW All Out 2025, Mark Briscoe defeated Maxwell Jacob Friedman to win the Tables N’ Tacks Match. Following this loss, MJF was absent for three months, but would finally return one week ahead of Worlds End to throw a wrench into AEW’s plans for that show’s main event.
Cashing in his guaranteed AEW World Title contract earned by winning the Men’s Casino Gauntlet at All In: Texas 2025, MJF inserted himself into the three-way between Samoa Joe, Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland to make it a four-way.
While it remains to be seen whether MJF’s gamble will see him capture his second AEW World Title, expect the 29-year-old to be in the main event picture throughout 2026.
With his stock rising in Hollywood as well, MJF’s trajectory as a crossover star for Tony Khan’s company makes him more of a key asset than ever before this year.
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4. Mercedes Moné Finally Loses All Of Her Titles, Including The TBS Championship
At ROH Final Battle 2025, Red Velvet defeated Mercedes Mone to win the ROH Women’s TV Championship.
This marked one of Mone’s 13 titles being taken from her, which has led to speculation about her downfall. Then, on the Saturday, December 20 episode of AEW Collision Moné lost another title – this time being the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship, which she lost to Alex Windsor.
Holding titles in several different promotions, fans could see “The CEO” start to lose all of her gold one-by-one.
Mone finally losing all of her titles including the TBS Championship should be a central focus for the AEW women’s division and eventually lead to her rise to the top prize in the company.
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3. The Death Riders Turn On Jon Moxley
Ever since Jon Moxley lost the AEW World Title, fans have been seeing cracks in his leadership of the Death Riders.
After tapping out to lose the AEW World Championship, Moxley has gone on to say “I Quit” to Darby Allin at AEW WrestleDream and submitted twice to Kyle O’Reilly in both the Men’s Blood & Guts as well as at AEW Full Gear 2025.
This has led to many fans expecting that the Death Riders will inevitably turn heel on Moxley at some point.
With several different subtle signs being teased over the past few weeks, it seems like fans will see a significant change where the Death Riders excommunicate Moxley from the group completely.
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2. Hangman Page & Swerve Strickland’s Alliance Implodes
At AEW Full Gear 2025, Samoa Joe defeated Hangman Adam Page in a Steel Cage Match to win the AEW World Title thanks to interference from HOOK turning heel and reuniting with the Opps.
Post match, Swerve Strickland made his return to the company for the first time since August to make the save for Hangman and fought off The Opps.
Since then, it has seemed like an unlikely alliance between Hangman and Swerve has been formed to take down Joe as AEW World Champion, which could come to a head this Saturday when Page and Strickland compete in a four-way for the gold, along with MJF.
Regardless of that result, Hangman and Swerve will have to fight and their allegiance will inevitably implode, leading to more showdowns between them down the line.
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1. Will Ospreay Returns
At AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2025, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, Darby Allin and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated the Death Riders and the Young Bucks in a Lights Out Steel Cage Match.
However, the post match angle saw the Death Riders trap Ospreay inside the cage, so Jon Moxley could stomp a chair around Will’s neck.
With “The Aerial Assassin” being stretchered out of the arena, fans are anticipating when Ospreay will be back on AEW television.
After recovering from neck surgery, it should be a huge jolt of star power and excitement to have Ospreay back in AEW, going after revenge on Moxley and the Death Riders.
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