Since AEW's inception, Tony Khan has typically not released many wrestlers as he has instead opted to keep people on the roster and treat them well. However, even though Khan has tried to do his best for everyone there have been times when he has cut people or decided not to renew their deals when they've expired.
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Some of those decisions were made due to behavior or other issues, while others were simply due to Khan not having anything for them creatively. However, what those wrestlers have done post-AEW is very different, with fans not always being aware of what released talent has done next.
10 Marko Stunt
Marko Stunt was a popular talent during his time in AEW as part of the Jurassic Express faction. His small size allowed him to bring something completely different to the business and that helped him win over the crowd, but he still ended up being cut.
Since that point, Stunt's career has largely been on hold due to the fact he suffered a fractured vertebrae. That has led to him being on the sidelines when it comes to professional wrestling as he focuses primarily on rehabilitation.
9 Bea Priestley
Bea Priestley was given quite a few opportunities early on in her AEW career as a top heel in the women's division, but that wasn't something that continued in the long term. Travel restrictions due to COVID-19 proved to be a sticking point at the time because Priestley was living in Japan and things just didn't work out.
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However, AEW's loss ended up being WWE's gain as the company signed her up. She now works as Blair Davenport having originally been part of the NXT UK roster, she has since transitioned to be part of NXT in America.
8 Jimmy Havoc
Jimmy Havoc was one of the first people that got cut from the AEW roster, and rightfully so. Tony Khan had to decide the Englishman after his name was brought up as part of the Speaking Out movement which revealed many wrestlers had been sexually abusing women.
While he entered rehab, AEW still decided to cut ties with Havoc. Due to the seriousness of the allegations surrounding him Havoc's wrestling career was brought to an end, as he now works as a DPD delivery driver.
7 Lio Rush
Lio Rush had a rollercoaster AEW career, dealing with injuries, brief pushes, and even calling Tony Khan out on social media due to the situation surrounding Big Swole. Ultimately, he was cut from the company and not kept around on a long-term basis, despite the unique talent that he brings to the ring.
However, Rush hasn't let that bother him as he is currently putting on the strongest run of his entire career. Rush is working for both New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Impact Wrestling, putting together some fantastic work to showcase his abilities.
6 Awesome Kong
Awesome Kong was an exciting signing early on for AEW due to her incredible history in the professional wrestling industry. However, the company never fully tapped into her as a performer as being part of The Nightmare Collective was something that was never going to work.
Ultimately, Kong decided to retire from professional wrestling after a brief stint working for the NWA. However, she did recently make a comeback to be part of the Impact Wrestling 1000 event.
5 Frankie Kazarian
Frankie Kazarian was a key name early on in AEW due to the fact he was a veteran of the wrestling business and the fact SCU was a hot act at the time. The group became the first-ever AEW World Tag Team Champions, but once they were split up Kazarian's opportunities became limited.
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Rather than sit on that contract he pushed to be released, and Kazarian made a return to Impact Wrestling. He has been competing regularly since that point, continuing to show people he still has plenty left in the tank.
4 Bobby Fish
Bobby Fish was an exciting signing for AEW because other members of the Undisputed Era were part of the company. It seemed like big things were being teased, which could have eventually been realized due to Roderick Strong also joining AEW later on.
However, injuries to Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly left Fish in a tough spot in AEW and he was let go. Since that point, he has been competing regularly having had chances with Impact Wrestling and on the independent scene while he has also launched his own podcast.
3 Brian Pillman Jr.
Brian Pillman Jr. spent the majority of his AEW career working in a tag team alongside Griff Garrison which was a unit that did manage to get over. However, Pillman Jr. was never pushed further than that, and in 2023 he was cut from the roster.
Since that point, the second-generation wrestler has been competing on the independent scene as he looks to build his name back up. However, it has also been strongly rumored that he is set to be joining WWE as part of the NXT roster shortly, but that has yet to materialize.
2 CM Punk
CM Punk is by far the most high-profile wrestler that Tony Khan has released, which was a decision he had to make due to behind-the-scenes issues. Punk was surrounded by controversies and backstage problems which led to him being let go, a decision that got the wrestling world talking.
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Since that point, Punk has kept rather quiet regarding the entire situation, but he has returned to Cage Fury Fighting Championship for his commentary role. During that appearance he did tease he has around two months free, getting people talking about a potential WWE return.
1 Stu Grayson
Stu Grayson is a curious case in comparison to every other wrestler that AEW has released, because Tony Khan has since decided to rehire him. The former Dark Order star was cut from the company in 2022 which wasn't a big surprise to most as he hadn't played a key role in some time.
However, after going away and impressing with his in-ring performances Grayson got a second chance with AEW. He is proof that Khan is willing to re-sign talent that he has let go, which opens up the door for all released stars down the line.
