A lot of professional wrestlers opted to make the move to AEW from WWE once Tony Khan created the company, some through their own choice like Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, and others after being released by WWE. However, over the years some wrestlers have begun making the jump in the opposite direction.
10 Current AEW Wrestlers Who Will Be In WWE By 2025
Which AEW wrestler is likely to follow Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill to WWE before the year 2025?Much like the stars who have gone to AEW, some of those were via their own decision, and others because Khan had cut them. But the wrestling war is starting to heat up and talent going back and forth only makes that more exciting. Seeing AEW wrestlers join WWE is always a talking point because it is rarer, but those who have made that journey have had differing levels of impact so far.
6 A King Rises
Lexis King Is Out To Make A Name For Himself
AEW Tenure | WWE Debut | Major Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
2019 - 2023 | Halloween Havoc - Night One, 2023 | MLW World Tag Team Champion |
Lexis King is the latest AEW star to have made the jump to WWE, therefore his impact hasn't quite been felt at the same level as the other wrestlers. However, it was certainly a big signing for WWE to make because King was regularly featured during his time in AEW - primarily as a tag team wrestler alongside Griff Garrison.
5 Wrestling Free Agents We Want In WWE (& 5 In AEW)
With so many major wrestling free agents on the market, there are names that we want to see sign with WWE or AEW.King joining WWE also allows the company to look back at his father's career as well. He might not be using a name related to Brian Pillman, but the lineage that surrounds King because of his family ties certainly makes this more impactful.
5 A Shot In The Arm For WWE's Women's Division
Blair Davenport Has Brought Violence To NXT
AEW Tenure | WWE Debut | Major Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
2019 - 2020 | NXT UK, 7/8/2021 | World Of Stardom Champion |
Blair Davenport was involved in AEW's women's division from an early stage, and a lot of fans felt she was going to be a major part of the company. She was given good opportunities and her hard-hitting style allowed her matches to feel fresh and important, but things didn't work out for her and the company.
While she didn't immediately join WWE - opting to work in Japan - she was a good signing for the company. Davenport might not command the star power that other signings from AEW have, but she adds value and is a strong member of the roster, which allows WWE to work with her to focus on building her name for the future.
4 A Statement Signing For WWE
Jade Cargill Chose WWE Over AEW
AEW Tenure | WWE Debut | Major Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
2020 - 2023 | Fastlane (2023) | Former TBS Champion |
Tony Khan put a huge effort into Jade Cargill, presenting her as a star that was on another level to all the other women in his company. While that worked for him at the time, it has ended up making her decision to not re-sign with AEW and join WWE a huge one for Triple H's promotion as she has so much value.
5 Best Possible Feuds For Jade Cargill In WWE (& 5 That She Should Avoid)
Jade Cargill has a whole roster of new challengers in WWE, but there are some wrestlers she should avoid.Cargill looks the part and simply screams 'star' from an aesthetic perspective. While she is yet to debut inside the ring, all of the buzz that surrounded this move showcased how impactful it was. This felt like a major signing for WWE to make, taking away someone AEW had invested so heavily into in the first place. If she can keep that momentum up when she gets into the ring, then Cargill is going to be a huge deal.
3 A Strong NXT Addition
Nathan Frazer Has Been Competing Regularly
AEW Tenure | WWE Debut | Major Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
2020 | NXT UK, 1/7/2021 | NXT Heritage Cup Winner |
Nathan Frazer wasn't technically signed by AEW when he worked for the company, but he had several matches for them in 2020 and got a lot of attention based on his performance. It was well known that Tony Khan did hope to sign him as he is one of the best young prospects in the business, and his in-ring style would've suited the company.
However, he opted to put pen to paper with WWE and that was a big deal at the time. It was an impactful signing for WWE because it proved that the company was still capable of drawing in the best young talent. Since then Frazer has proven why he's one of the most exciting stars in wrestling, becoming a consistent member of NXT with regular big opportunities being handed to him.
2 Hell Has Frozen Over
CM Punk Did The Impossible
AEW Tenure | WWE Redebut | Major Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
2021 - 2023 | Survivor Series WarGames | Two-time AEW World Champion |
CM Punk being a WWE Superstar again is something that nobody ever expected to be a possibility, but at Survivor Series WarGames he stunned the world by returning to his former employers. Of course, his arrival broke the internet and the wrestling world hasn't stopped talking about it since; showcasing an immediate impact.
5 Things We Want To See From CM Punk’s WWE Return (& 5 We Don’t)
While there are so many things fans want to see CM Punk do in WWE, there are also plenty that he needs to avoid.Punk hasn't wrestled a match yet, but he has already changed the landscape of WWE. While he has a lot of baggage due to his AEW drama that all adds to the mystery and star power that surrounds him. Him joining WWE is a huge deal for the company from a perspective standpoint, and it is a hammer blow to AEW which makes it an even bigger win for Triple H.
1 The American Nightmare Is Trying To Finish His Story
Cody Rhodes Has Become An Elite WWE Superstar
AEW Tenure | WWE Redebut | Major Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
2018 - 2022 | WrestleMania 38 | Royal Rumble Winner (2023) |
While WWE has already made some big acquisitions from AEW, none come close to the impact of Cody Rhodes' signing. There are few wrestlers that WWE could pluck from Tony Khan's company that would come close either, largely due to Rhodes' history with WWE, the fact he left and bet on himself and then ended up playing an integral role in creating another company.
Rhodes wasn't just an AEW wrestler (and major star), but he was an Executive Vice President and founding member of the company. The fact he was willing to walk away from that and return to WWE was a huge deal that did shift the landscape. He has since become one of WWE's most vital roster members, becoming a genuine main event star who is ready to carry the company on his back as World Champion one day.
