Best Potential Keith Lee Feuds After Reportedly Signing AEW Contract

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WWE

It would appear one of the most sought-after pairings will happen soon with rumblings about Keith Lee eyeballing All Elite Wrestling in the aftermath of his WWE run. 

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc.’s Marc Middleton), there have already been discussions between the two sides and a contract might already be done. The 37-year-old Lee was released by WWE in November and appeared to have a standard 90-day non-compete clause. 

Once free of that, Lee’s free to compete with whoever he wants—and it sounds like it’ll be on the AEW roster. 

That opens the door for a ton of intriguing fantasy booking centered around one of the most unique talents in modern pro wrestling. It feels like AEW’s more crowded than ever, in a good way, but there’s certainly room for some can’t-miss feuds all across the cards, including at the very top. 

While we’d like to see him dance with familiar names like Miro and Brian Cage, these feuds stick out the most as the best right out of the gates for Lee. 

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A tango with Eddie Kingston is one way to have a trial-by-fire that shows a new debutant like Lee can hang. 

We know Lee can hang, of course. But for those who don’t know about him, this would be an incredible way to let his talent shine, both in the ring and on the mic. 

We’ve seen Kingston have some unforgettable, scrappy bouts with the likes of Jon Moxley (who would also make for a pretty interesting feud with Lee, and it doesn’t necessarily have to happen on AEW programming) and he’s carved out a niche for himself in the company that nobody else is every to likely occupy. 

Physically speaking, Kingston is one of those guys who wouldn’t seem overmatched in the ring with the acrobatic, 6’2″ and 340-pound Lee. And on the mic, it would let Lee run wild as a presence before moving on to potentially bigger things. 

If AEW doesn’t want to rip bigger hitters on the roster out of current feuds upon Lee’s arrival, an extended, dramatic program with Kingston could steal quite a few cards. 

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Keith Lee vs. Bryan Danielson feels like one of those missed opportunities the existence of AEW helps correct. 

Fans didn’t get a major Lee-Danielson feud in WWE, which is a shame given the talents of both men and the fun difference of in-ring styles they would present. 

Granted, it’s one of those feuds where fans would have a hard time choosing who to root for, but a little bit of that can go a long way for each Superstar and certain cards. Seeing Danielson run wild while trying to counter a giant of an opponent has been done in the past, but few have been as athletic as Lee. 

This also wouldn’t be one of those matches where Danielson has to carry the whole thing. They would both make the other look like a million bucks, forming a barnburner of a match that can steal any card. 

Not that it overly matters because we already know this, but it would be an example of AEW showing the world what WWE should be doing with some of its best overall talents, too.

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On one hand, AEW should want to stay away from retreading old WWE things. Bringing in too many ex-WWE Superstars, re-doing old feuds, mentioning the competition too much, it’s all stuff that can backfire. 

But on the other hand, Lee and Adam Cole have a storied history AEW would be foolish for ignoring. 

Lee, after all, was the scrappy up-and-comer and fan favorite who took down Cole on NXT for the program’s top title, ending the 403-day reign of a cocky heel. The feud was unforgettable for a number of reasons, chief among them their incredible in-ring storytelling. 

The feud writes itself. Cole’s been busy working with the likes of Orange Cassidy, but could take offense to somebody like Lee “following” him to AEW. They could organically flow from there for an extended amount of time and fans wouldn’t complain. 

That a former NXT-headling feud could exist in the mid-card of AEW would also just be a subtle flex to how deep the roster is now, too. 

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AEW has something really special on its hands with Wardlow. 

It’s very clear Wardlow’s headed for a full-blown turn, escaping from the clutches of MJF and possibly entering fan-favorite territory. He’s also effectively one of the only “monster” characters on the roster from a physical standpoint, especially with AEW seemingly shying away from guys who would tower over him (think, Braun Strowman). 

Lee standing opposite the ring and eventually trading blows with Wardlow would be incredible, to say the least. The feud wouldn’t be an easy thing to book from a dynamic standpoint with MJF’s muscle starting to turn face, but that doesn’t have to be a hindrance. 

Point is, both would put on an unforgettable show that would help dispel some of the myths about AEW’s inability to have bigger guys in prominent feuds. While that’s not really the brand’s thing, it would be pretty hard to deny this clash of talent.