Chris Flackett
It would be fair to say that, for as many people who enjoyed the initial appearances of Miro in AEW as Kip Sabian’s best man and a big gamer, there were many more who wondered where the intense ‘Bulgarian Brute’ of old had gone. Thankfully for those who missed his aggression, Miro bounced back from his feud with the Best Friends and attacked Sabian backstage, putting Kip on the shelf in the process, before defeating Darby Allin on the May 12th edition of Dynamite in brutal fashion to become the AEW TNT Champion.
This was the Miro many of us wanted to see, and now we have the reward of seeing him as a fighting champion defending his belt. His first major defence was at Double or Nothing against Lance Archer in what proved to be a slobber knocker. But who do we want to see Miro defend against next? There are plenty of interesting opportunities presented by the AEW roster for some bruising title defences in the near future. Here are the five challengers I would like to see square up to Miro.
Dustin Rhodes
Everybody knows that Dustin Rhodes is one tough son-of-a-bitch, and he’s doubled down on this reputation in AEW, bleeding like a stuck pig during his match with his brother, Cody, and putting the Nightmare Family through their paces. The point is, Dustin can still go. And with his rugged, hard-hitting style, he might just make a perfect foil for Miro, who has a mean streak of his own. I could see these two putting on a hell of a compelling bloody brawl given the chance.
It’s a chance I certainly hope that they get soon enough.
Wardlow
AEW have been quite clever in their use of Wardlow is that they’ve used him sparingly when it’s come to actual matches. Rather than spoil the mystique of being MJF’s near-invincible minder by having him lose lots of matches, they’ve used him in the ring when the occasion has called for it and let him look like a beast.
As a member of The Pinnacle, there’s a good chance the stable are going to be having a major push on trying to accumulate gold soon. Wardlow would clearly be the best man to send after Miro. Spears, FTR and MJF have the talent but Wardlow has the size and strength to make a challenge to Miro seem feasible. Inevitably, Miro would win but a hard-fought contest between the two could make both men look strong and would give Wardlow that rub as being championship material. I also suspect this would be one hell of a hoss fight.
Brian Cage
It’s The Machine, brother! AEW are teasing a face turn for Mr Cage and a move away from Team Taz. This is something I’m definitely intrigued to see, as I do believe Brian Cage is an immensely talented wrestler and has perhaps not quite show everything he’s capable of yet in an AEW ring.
A match with Miro would be an ideal showcase for Cage. Who better? He can match the Bulgarian in strength and size but also will offer a nice contrast in that Cage is able to move further into aerial manoeuvers than Miro is. Miro, then, would have to ramp up the power and intensity game to ground Cage and stop him using that speed to get the advantage over the champion. Could Miro ground and pound The Machine? Let’s hope AEW allows us to find out.
Sammy Guevara
This one would be a great contrast in styles. Sammy is on a roll at the moment and his persona is one of being that cocky son of a gun who knows exactly how good he is. But what does he do when has to face someone with the strength and the intensity of Miro? Can Sammy still bring that cocksure confidence to the ring with him?
What would be entertaining about this match is that Sammy is very creative and so I could see him taking some interesting routes to avoid and dodge Miro before exploding onto him with some sort of aerial oblivion. On the flip side, Miro would make surely make Sammy pay for any arrogance he might throw in the big man’s direction and will surely look to toss Guevara around like a rag doll as soon as he can get his hands on him.
PAC
PAC is an absolute raw nerve of a man, such is his intensity. Not only can he match Miro in the aggression stakes but, much like Sammy, he can also use his aerial skills to his advantage by not letting Miro get his hands on him. Not that PAC would back down from a fight; he loves a good scrap! That’s what would make this match so compelling. ‘The Bastard’ would not be intimidated by Miro’s size and in fact, would probably thrive on it, getting right in the ‘Bulgarian’s Brute’s’ face.
Whether Miro would let him get away with it is another matter…
Who would you like to see Miro defend the TNT Championship against? Let me know in the comments!
