At All In Texas 2025, Hangman Adam Page defeated Jon Moxley, ending his fourth reign with the AEW World Title and beginning his own second reign.
In the six-year history of AEW, there have been 14 different title reigns, with nine distinct individuals holding the belt.
The question is, who will come next, who will be the one to dethrone Page, and who will then dethrone them?
WrestleTalk predicts the next five AEW World Heavyweight Champions.
5. MJF
The August 6 edition of AEW Dynamite saw MJF defeat Mark Briscoe in what was, while not officially announced, a de facto match to decide the number one contender for the AEW title.
It appears that the main event of AEW’s next PPV, Forbidden Door, will be Hangman Page defending the title against MJF.
MJF is currently embroiled in several concurrent feuds with Page, Mark Briscoe (whom he cheated to defeat), The Hurt Syndicate (which he was recently kicked out of), and Mexico’s top star, Mistico, whom he attacked on the latest ROH taping.
Given the number of feuds, MJF may not capture the title in London at Forbidden Door, but he still seems odds-on to eventually take it from Page.
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4. Swerve Strickland
In the wake of an MJF title win and a heel reign with the belt, it seems certain that he will be dethroned by a babyface.
Swerve has only grown in stature and popularity since his first run with the belt in 2024 – his first run helped him grow into the role, and now he feels like a true main event star and world championship-level performer.
Implausibly, Swerve and MJF have never faced one another in a wrestling ring, neither in singles nor any other bout.
A first-time feud could lead to a title change, with Swerve once again becoming the face of the AEW.
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3. Will Ospreay
Will Ospreay recently announced on Dynamite that he would need to take time off due to neck issues, he stated his goal was to get back for Forbidden Door, but given the extent of the issues he noted, it seems rather optimistic.
One thing is, however, certain: with AEW’s return to Wembley Stadium for All In in 2026, that will be the destination for Ospreay to finally capture the AEW World Title.
Swerve would seem to be the optimal opponent, as the pair have a built-in storyline, with Ospreay never defeating Swerve in AEW – Swerve defeating Ospreay in a classic battle at Forbidden Door 2024 for the World Title.
Another classic in-ring bout, with Ospreay getting the win, would see Wembley explode at All In 2026.
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2. Konosuke Takeshita
With Ospreay as champion, his own built-in feud could come against Konosuke Takeshita.
The Japanese star, and member of the Don Callis Family, Takeshita has never beaten Ospreay in a one-on-one bout, having dropped two incredible matches to the British star at Revolution 2024 and the Spring BreakThru edition of Dynamite in April 2025.
Takeshita has been making a strong case for Wrestler of the Year in 2025 with exceptional work in both AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is currently delivering stellar performances night after night in the G1-Climax tournament.
If Takeshita’s body holds up – and that’s an if, given the rate at which he is working – then he should be a prime candidate for capturing the AEW World Title, becoming the biggest star in the company.
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1. Kyle Fletcher
The past 12 months have witnessed the remarkable ascension of Kyle Fletcher.
From highly touted prospect and standout tag team wrestler, he has become one of the best big-match wrestlers in the world and developed a despicable heel persona as a member of Don Callis’ family.
Given his level of talent, a babyface turn is likely coming at some point as he breaks free from Don Callis – a perfect storyline way to do this would be to have him challenge fellow family member Takeshita for the title.
2026 could be the year that Fletcher secures the AEW title and becomes the biggest star in the company – something perhaps foreshadowed by the long-term contract AEW has reportedly just signed the 26-year-old to according to Fightful Select.
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