In the current AEW roster there are several former WWE wrestlers, in fact, almost all AEW wrestlers had experience in other promotions. Some of them only took their first steps in those promotions and did not have notable success, but others won World Titles and were very important to their respective promotions.
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Many fans have no idea that several of the AEW wrestlers have already been World Champions, although they did it in wrestling promotions that are not very well known. Without further ado, let's take a look at 10 former World Champions on AEW’s current roster, and who they beat for their first World Title.
10 Claudio Castagnoli: Jimmy Jacobs
Claudio Castagnoli is one of the best wrestlers in the world today, in fact, he has always been extremely talented, but in WWE he didn't get many opportunities to shine. One of the things fans will never forgive Vince McMahon for is that he never gave a World Title run to this guy, who had already been World Champion in other promotions.
Claudio Castagnoli's first World Title win was on December 27, 2003, when under the name Double C, he defeated Jimmy Jacobs to win the Westside Xtreme Wrestling World Heavyweight Title.
9 Jeff Hardy: Edge & Triple H
Jeff Hardy won several titles in different promotions, but his first World Title was won in WWE. At Armageddon 2008, Jeff Hardy won a Triple Threat match against Edge and Triple H to win the WWE Heavyweight Title. It was an exceptional match, and it was an unforgettable moment for the Charismatic Enigma and his fans.
That reign didn't last long, though, as Hardy dropped the title to Edge in his first defense. Jeff Hardy went on to win two more World Titles in WWE, and was also TNA World Heavyweight Champion three times.
8 Eddie Kingston: Chris Hero
Eddie Kingston has everything it takes to become AEW World Champion, but perhaps Tony Khan has a different opinion. Eddie already has experience holding a World Championship, in fact, his first experience as a World Champion was in 2006, at the age of 24.
Back then, Kingston defeated Chris Hero to become Combat Zone Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion. Eddie Kingston held the title for three months, and ended up losing the title to Justice Pain.
7 Jon Moxley: Pepper Parks
Two-time AEW World Champion Jon Moxley was also a World Champion in seven other promotions, including of course, WWE. But what was Jon Moxley's first World Title?
To answer that question, we have to go back to 2006, when a 20-year-old Jon Moxley defeated Pepper Parks (better known as The Blade) to become Heartland Wrestling Association Heavyweight Champion. Surely back then, Moxley dreamed of becoming the best wrestler in the world, and today he is certainly one of the best.
6 Kris Statlander: Karen Q
Kris Statlander is one of the AEW women with the most potential, she is very talented, but unfortunately, she is prone to injuries, although she will surely be AEW World Women's Champion in the future.
Statlander has already been Women's Champion in other promotions, and her first World Women's Title was in Victory Pro Wrestling, a New York promotion. Kris Statlander defeated Karen Q to win the VPW Women's Title, having a reign of over a year.
5 Samoa Joe: Christopher Daniels
Speaking of injury-prone wrestlers, Samoa Joe has been one of them, especially in recent years. Still, he has had an excellent wrestling career, being a World Champion in four different promotions, including Ring Of Honor and TNA/Impact Wrestling.
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Samoa Joe's first World Title win was against Christopher Daniels, and you probably think it was in TNA/Impact Wrestling, but it was actually in Ultimate Pro Wrestling, a small promotion based in California. Joe was UPW Heavyweight Champion for 258 days, until he dropped the belt to Mikey Henderson.
4 Sting: Ric Flair
Sting has had a legendary career, and at 63 years old he is still the protagonist of memorable moments, which is admirable. We know that Sting was one of the most important wrestlers in WCW, and it was precisely there where he won his first World Title, although it was not the WCW World Heavyweight Title, but the NWA World Heavyweight Title.
At The Great American Bash 1990, Sting defeated none other than Ric Flair to become NWA World Heavyweight Champion. That remains one of the biggest wins of Sting's career.
3 Jamie Hayter: Jinny
Jamie Hayter was on the verge of winning the interim AEW World Women's Title, but Britt Baker stopped her, hinting at a feud between the two, which people have been waiting for quite some time. Hayter still has to work hard to win the AEW World Women's Title, but it's worth noting that she has been World Champion in other promotions.
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The first World Championship of Jamie Hayter's career was the RevPro Undisputed British Women's Championship, which she won on June 3, 2018, after defeating Jinny, who has had a decent run on NXT UK.
2 Jake Hager: Ted DiBiase Jr.
12 years ago, Jack Swagger won the World Heavyweight Championship after cashing-in his Money In The Bank contract on Chris Jericho, but that wasn't his first World Title win. On February 15, 2008, Jake Hager defeated Ted DiBiase Jr. to become the first ever FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion.
Several successful wrestlers have come from Florida Championship Wrestling, Jake Hager was an interesting prospect, but unfortunately he was not able to reach his full potential.
1 Kenny Omega: Mentallo
Kenny Omega has been AEW World Champion, Impact World Champion, AAA World Champion, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, PWG World Champion and much more. On January 31, 2001, Kenny Omega defeated Mentallo to become Canadian Unified Junior Heavyweight Champion.
A couple of years later he defeated Adam Knight to win the Premier Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title. And so, step by step, Kenny Omega was winning titles in various promotions, and was becoming one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
