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AEW is notorious for continuously adding talent despite its loaded and crowded roster. Tony Khan's relentless recruiting has paid off this past month, however.
Many AEW stars have been forced out of action because of injury. The company was forced to crown an interim AEW World Champion in the wake of CM Punk's injury after Double or Nothing.
Other stars who have missed some time because of injury include Orange Cassidy, Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, and Jungle Boy. The list goes on past those names.
Of course, injuries aren't the only reason to add to a roster. Sometimes a wrestler simply fits what a company needs. Sometimes a wrestler is too talented to pass up on.
Let's look at three wrestlers who may not be the biggest names around the world, but would still benefit AEW if they were to be brought in on a regular basis. Regardless of the reasons they're brought in.
3 underrated wrestlers that will give AEW a massive boost
1) Maki Itoh
Itoh is one of the more entertaining characters in all of wrestling. She has made a couple of appearances in AEW in the past but has not actually signed with the promotion.
The 26-year-old native of Japan currently wrestles for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, where she holds the International Princess Championship. She is in her second reign with the International Princess Championship.
Itoh's start in wrestling came through her work as an idol. In Japan, an idol is a singer who's marketed based on their attractiveness. She made her first appearance in an Idol Lumberjack match for DDT Pro-Wrestling in 2013.
Itoh came to be known as “The Fired Idol” when she was let go by the idol group LinQ in 2017. “The Cutest In The World” keeps a lot of aspects of her idol days, singing her way down to the ring for her matches.
Itoh is more than an entertaining character. While not the best wrestler in the world, she can hold her own in the ring and can produce brilliant matches when asked.
The 26-year-old can also be a merchandise draw when need be, as shown last year when one of her shirts was the top-selling shirt on Pro Wrestling Tees in late June despite wrestling almost predominantly in Japan.
Itoh is an amazing storyteller in the ring, which fits what AEW's looking for to a tee. Her wrestling ability draws you in, but the little things she does to sell the story the match is trying to tell is what hooks you in.
Itoh is not that well known to an American audience. Despite that, she would provide a tremendous boost to AEW's women's division.
2) Dominik Dijakovic/T-Bar
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Dijakovic has been wrestling as T-Bar since his call-up to WWE's main roster. However, he showed glimpses of what he was capable of during his time in NXT.
He is most known for his insane matches with Keith Lee at NXT TakeOver: Portland and the NXT following The Great American Bash.
Dijakovic also turned in convincing performances against the late Brodie Lee (fka Luke Harper), Adam Cole, and Damian Priest. However, his call-up to the main roster as a part of the RETRIBUTION faction stalled a lot of his momentum.
The 35-year-old performer has all of the tools to be a star in the wrestling industry. He has a very impactful in-ring style, he has a great look, and he possess a lot of intensity in his moves.
He isn't the strongest talker in the world, but AEW could easily pair him with a mouthpiece. AEW has a number of talents who could easily slot in as a manager for Dijakovic. If you were to bring him in as a heel, “Smart” Mark Sterling or Dan Lambert would be perfect for the role.
3) Dakota Kai
The only wrestler on this list not currently signed to a promotion, WWE released Kai in late April after she communicated to the company that she would not be renewing her contract.
Kai is a former two-time NXT Women's tag team champion with Raquel Gonzalez, and the two also won the 2021 Women's Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic.
The 34-year-old proved her ability to perform as a top heel after turning on former tag partner Teagan Nox at NXT TakeOver: War Games 2019.
Kai has the versatility to be a reliable babyface or a detestable heel. And her heavy strikes helped her hand with the best in the business.
The Auckland, New Zealand native can also hold her own on the microphone. Her ability to do whatever is needed whenever it's needed makes her a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.
AEW's women's division is growing, and yet still has room to grow. Like Itoh, Kai would give the division a tremendous boost. She could come in right away as an opponent for World Champion Thunder Rosa or TBS Champion Jade Cargill without missing a beat.
