Who are the Four Pillars of AEW? Keep reading to find out who they are and which Japanese legends they were inspired by
The Four Pillars of AEW is a term coined by MJF in an interview, referencing the four young “home grown” stars of AEW poised to be main event stars in the future.
The idea comes from AJPW’s 4 Pillars of Heaven from the 1990s to 2000s being Japanese stars Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue.
The four men were the top stars in AJPW and some of the greatest wrestlers to ever live.
They carried the company, having incredible match after incredible match against each other in multiple combinations and were recognised as some of the best wrestlers of all time. Each of the four men brought something unique in their character and styles and were seen as the pillars that held up All Japan Pro Wrestling.
In AEW, the Four pillars represents four of the young stars of AEW that have been with the company since AEW was formed. The Four pillars of AEW are four equally distinct yet incredibly talented individuals that look set to be main event stars in the company over the next decade and beyond.
Keep reading to find out who are the AEW Four Pillars , representing the next generation of stars in All Elite Wrestling
Four Pillars of AEW
Darby Allin
One of the most popular stars in AEW is Darby Allin, and he is one of the 4 pillars of AEW. He was pushed as a future star in AEW from the off, facing off with the likes of Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho very early on his career.
He would later go on to win the TNT Championship from Cody Rhodes and even forming a partnership with WCW legend Sting. As a pair, Darby Allin & Sting are undefeated in tag action and could be on the way to getting a shot at the AEW Tag Team Championships.
Allin is continually placed in main event matches in AEW and looks to be already one of the top stars in the company. In the years to come, should he work on his mic skills to compliment his incredible, death-defying wrestling style, he could become one of the best in the world and an AEW Champion in the future.
Sammy Guevara
The next of the 4 pillars of AEW is three time TNT Champion Sammy Guevara.
Guevara was pushed as a young star early on in AEW, being placed into Chris Jericho’s “Inner Circle” on the first episode of AEW Dynamite, after he had the first match in Dynamite history against Cody Rhodes.
He appeared in many high profile matches alongside the Inner Circle, including the first ever “Blood and Guts” and “Stadium Stampede” matches. He later left the group to focus on singles action, winning the TNT Championship three times with the help of real life girlfriend Tay Conti.
Sammy Guevara is the most successful of the four pillars of AEW, winning three titles so far in his career. He is likely to win even more and has the look of a top heel in the coming years in AEW, once veterans like Chris Jericho retire from the company.
Jungle Boy
The 4 pillar member with the slowest rise, but now one of the most popular, is Jungle Boy. The Jurassic Express member was the first of the 4 pillars of AEW to win the AEW Tag Team Championships. He and partner Luchasaurus defeated the Lucha Brothers in 2021 to win the titles, a goal the pair had since the start of AEW and becoming the first AEW home grown stars to win the belts.
Jungle Boy is the son of the late Hollywood star Luke Perry, but has not allowed his lineage to affect his perception. He has not used his real name to distance himself from his family and has used his hard work and ability to become one of the top faces in the tag team division.
MJF
The fourth and arguable the best of the 4 pillars of AEW is the dastardly Maxwell Jacob Freidman – or MJF. MJF made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing 2019, and was immediately given the spotlight and a segment in the ring with Adam Page and Bret “The Hitman” Hart.
He soon rose the ranks of AEW, albeit with very limited in-ring time. He was already a top in-ring performer, shown during his time in MLW, but it was on the microphone that MJF really excelled. He played the ultimate heel, continually insulting the crowd yet keeping them hanging on his every word.
He has gone on to wrestle in multiple main event matches against top stars in AEW like Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho and CM Punk. He picked up wins over Punk and Jericho amongst many others, with his feud with CM Punk being one of the best in AEW history. MJF’s promo on his life during the the rivalry gained plaudits from all across the wrestling world and outside of it for it’s incredible honesty and delivery.
MJF is the only one of the four pillars to win the AEW Championship, defeating Jon Moxley for the title at Full Gear 2022.
All Four Pillars (MJF, Darby Allin, Jungle Boy and Sammy Guevara) all look set to face off in a Four-Way match in AEW, having appeared together in a segment on AEW Dynamite, following Revolution 2023.
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