5 Best Wrestler Cameos In AEW (& 5 Worst)

AEW might have a loaded roster of talent, but that doesn't stop Tony Khan from bringing others in for one-off appearances and cameo moments. Some of those can be just quick moments while others end up having more of an impact and end up being memorable in the long term as far as fans are concerned.

Sometimes the cameo appearances land and feel special, with Khan paying close attention to what fans enjoy, but that doesn't mean they all end up working out. Sometimes the cameos just don't hit, even when the wrestlers themselves are talented performers, as the situation doesn't always suit them.

10 Best: Great Muta

The Great Muta is one of the best wrestlers of all time, and seeing him turn up as a complete surprise at the AEW Rampage: Grand Slam event was a great moment. There were no rumors about this one, and that is what made the shock of it even more fun as the audience reacted massively.

He hit the ring and saved Sting and Darby Allin against the House Of Black, ticking AEW off his bucket list during the retirement tour he has undergone. Putting him and Sting together again was special, and that is something that helped to create a memorable segment.

9 Worst: Motor City Machine Guns

Because AEW takes tag team wrestling so seriously, it was great to see the Motor City Machine Guns turn up for a cameo appearance. However, the problem with their match at All Out in 2022 was that it felt far too random and didn't make much sense in the grand scheme of things.

They teamed up with Jay Lethal to face FTR and Wardlow, which was a match people didn't really want in the first place. However, Lethal already had two men by his side in Satnam Singh and Sonjay Dutt, so adding this classic tag team did feel a little strange.

8 Best: Jun Akiyama

Tony Khan is a big fan of Japanese wrestling, and that is clear by how many stars from the country he has brought over. Whether it is people making multiple appearances or wrestlers being involved for the Forbidden Door event, there have been many wrestlers turning up.

One fun cameo was from Jun Akiyama, who ended up competing against Eddie Kingston at the Full Gear pre-show. The two had a very fun match, and seeing Akiyama on that stage was great for fans.

7 Worst: Warhorse

During Cody Rhodes' initial TNT Championship open challenge the company was bringing in a lot of new faces to take him on, and that led to the likes of Eddie Kingston and Ricky Starks getting signed. However, the appearance of Warhorse ended up being a strict one-off, mainly because it wasn't any good.

At the time he was someone that had a lot of hype surrounding him on the independent scene, but his appearance proved he wasn't quite at the level necessary to work at AEW, which is why people have forgotten all about this moment.

6 Best: Juventud Guerrera

Juventud Guerrera appearing on an episode of AEW Dynamite is not something that anybody expected to see at that point in his career, but that is what made it so special. He was brought in as one of the wrestlers that Chris Jericho had to defeat to earn a match against MJF, and that's what he did.

Calling back to their long-standing rivalry in WCW was a lot of fun, and the audience certainly reacted to it. People were massively behind Guerrera, and the two men were able to produce a fun encounter.

5 Worst: Big Damo

Big Damo is a talented worker, and throughout his WWE career, he was able to put together a solid career, and adding him into AEW had a lot of potential. However, rather than tapping into him as a monster, he ended up competing against Shawn Spears in what was a very brief match.

Spears got the win very quickly, which was surprising due to the size and power advantage that Damo had over his opponent. It wasn't a great appearance as it didn't make Damo look like a threat, which is why it was so forgettable.

4 Best: Nick Gage

Another cameo wrestler that Chris Jericho shared the ring with was Nick Gage, which created a shocking moment that nobody ever thought they'd see. Gage is a well-respected wrestler who is best known for his death match work, which isn't something that translates onto national television very well.

Despite that, AEW took the risk and put Jericho into the death match situation and the two men had a classic match. This is one of the most violent bouts in AEW history, but it won't be forgotten, which is the key to any good cameo appearance.

3 Worst: Johnny Elite

Johnny Elite is a solid hand and somebody who every wrestling fan is aware of due to the fact he has worked everywhere throughout his wrestling career. However, his original cameo appearance was rather underwhelming as he popped up as a surprise in the Owen Hart tournament.

Fans had built up this spot a lot in their minds, and people thought that it would end up being someone like Johnny Gargano. Therefore, when it was Johnny Elite making a cameo appearance, there was a little disappointment.

2 Best: Erick Redbeard

Out of all the cameo appearances that have taken place over the years in AEW, Erick Redbeard's is arguably the most special and memorable. He might not have been the biggest name that has been pulled in by AEW, but the emotion behind his cameo role is something that will never be forgotten.

Redbeard appeared at the tribute show for Brodie Lee, and considering his history with the former TNT Champion, it led to a special situation. He has since appeared a few other times and his in-ring work has always been brilliant, but it was that emotional night and his surprise appearance that stands as the best AEW cameo.

1 Worst: Ariane Andrew

Ariane Andrew is best known for her work in WWE as Cameron, and she did a solid job in the role she was given during that time. However, she was never a wrestler that people were desperate to see back in the ring, so when AEW announced she'd be part of the forgotten women's tag team tournament there wasn't much hype.

She was randomly thrown into a partnership with Nyla Rose, and the team was eliminated in the first round. That made the situation even stranger because there was truly no reason for it to take place at all.