While being an American promotion, All Elite Wrestling has had a number of British stars help shape it since 2019.
The company even ran their biggest ever show in England. Wembley Stadium hosted 80,035 fans in 2023, as All In became the most-attended wrestling show of all time (not counting North Korea).
To celebrate this, we’ll have a look at the best British wrestlers in AEW history. Wrestlers from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the accompanying Islands will all be eligible to be included.
While there have been other British stars in the company (like Jimmy Havoc or Mariah May), they have not done enough to make this list, or have been disgraced in Havoc’s case.
Zack Sabre Jr had one of the best matches in AEW history at WrestleDream against Bryan Danielson. However, due to him being a NJPW talent,he will not be included on this list.
He is considered one of the best British wrestlers ever, however.
5. Kip Sabian
Being in the first singles match in AEW history if a huge accolade. An Englishman was one half of that match. He faced Sammy Guevara at AEW Double or Nothing 2019, competing on the pre-show.
Since then, he has bounced around different tag teams. He teamed with Jimmy Havoc, Miro and the Butcher and The Blade, reinventing himself as a new character each time.
Injuries have limited his opportunities, but Kip Sabian is always entertaining when he’s healthy. If the Englishman is given a consistent push, we could see him winning his first title in AEW.
4. Saraya
Saraya shocked the world when she debuted in AEW at Grand Slam 2022. The former WWE Divas Champion was long retired, owing to a neck injury that saw her career cut short in her 20s.
However, when she ran out to help save Athena and Toni Storm at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the stadium exploded. She followed her comeback up with a win over Britt Baker, and immediately became a top star in AEW.
The Englishwoman was the hometown hero at AEW All In in 2023. She walked out with her entire family, including Ricky Knight Jr and Zak Knight, at Wembley Stadium. With Queen’s “We Will Rock You” as her entrance, she beat Storm, Hikaru Shida and Britt Baker to win the AEW Women’ Championship.
While she has cooled off in recent months, she has represented the UK in AEW as a big star.
3. Jamie Hayter
One of the best women’s wrestlers in AEW is English star Jamie Hayter. The British star rose up from a one-time jobber to become the AEW Women’s Champion, holding the belt for nearly a year.
Sadly, an injury ended her title reign, forcing Hayter to miss All In. She has been out of the ring for nearly a year, with no confirmation about her return date.
Fans are waiting patiently to see her back. Jamie Hayter has been part of some of the best women’s matches in AEW, and she was one of the biggest draws in the women’s division for the company.
2. PAC
Considering he is one of the best wrestlers in the world, seeing PAC on this list is no surprise.
The former Adrian Neville in WWE was announced as one of the first big signings in AEW. Early matches against Kenny Omega and Jon Moxley showed him as a main event star in AEW, although injuries and COVID halted his push many times.
He is the only male British wrestler to win titles in AEW. PAC held two titles at once, when he held the AEW All-Atlantic and World Trios Championships at the same time in 2022.
With incredible matches against Orange Cassidy, Kenny Omega and Andrade El Idolo, it is clear that he is as good as any other man in the ring in AEW.
1. Will Ospreay
While he hasn’t spent long in AEW, Will Ospreay has quickly shown himself to be the best British wrestler in company history.
The high-flyer has wrestled high-profile bouts with stars like Kenny Omega, Orange Cassidy and Konosuke Takeshita.
These have been some of the best matches in company history, showing the impact he can have when given the opportunity.
His match with Omega was given six-stars by Dave Meltzer, while he was in a featured bout with Chris Jericho at Wembley Stadium for All In 2023.
Ospreay signed full-time with the company for AEW Revolution 2024. At the event, he beat Takeshita in a five-star match before starting a rivalry with Bryan Danielson.
In his short time in the company, the Englishman has shown why he is considered one of the greatest British wrestlers of all time, and AEW’s greatest English wrestler in company history.
