Every Star To Jump From AEW To WWE, Ranked By WWE Success

All through AEW’s five-year historical past, the promotion has seen some actually nice expertise enter the corporate. The promotion has seen these abilities concerned in actually glorious matches and storylines which have captivated followers. Nonetheless, not everybody in AEW reached the fullest extent of their success whereas signed there. Actually, AEW has seen just a few notable names leap ship to the corporate’s largest rival, WWE.

As time goes on, there’ll absolutely proceed to be AEW expertise leaping to WWE and vice versa. That’s simply the character of the skilled wrestling enterprise. However, as of proper now, right here is each expertise that has been signed to AEW leap to WWE and the way they’ve accomplished up to now.

10

Blair Davenport

Time In AEW: 2019-2020

You’ll be forgiven should you forgot that Blair Davenport spent a while early on in AEW earlier than she signed with WWE in 2021. Her time in AEW was spent principally feuding with Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. Nonetheless, there was some controversy with this feud when Davenport concussed Baker throughout a match.

Davenport was launched from AEW in 2020 resulting from her not having the ability to journey from Japan. By way of her time spent in AEW and WWE, the latter has seen her show a ton of in-ring dominance and within the NXT Girls’s Championship image. Nonetheless, she was launched from WWE in February 2025.

9

Ricky Saints

TIme In AEW: 2020-2025

In AEW, Ricky Saints was one of the vital underrated abilities to ever carry out for the promotion. For years, followers waited for him to have a breakout second and grow to be a singles champion. However, for no matter purpose, that by no means ended up taking place. This truly led to followers having numerous frustration with AEW over their reserving of him.

The minute that Saints was a free agent, WWE was fast to signal him. He debuted in NXT to great fan fare. His subsequent debut match was spectacular as nicely. Nonetheless, he has not been on the black and silver model for too lengthy.

8

Lexis King

Time In AEW: 2019-2023

Lexis King needed to forge a path all his personal when he signed to NXT. Previously utilizing the identify Brian Pillman Jr., he was in a crew with Griff Garrison within the Varsity Blonds and had a really transient feud with MJF. However, he was most of the time an enhancement expertise that was by no means going to make it to the highest of AEW.

In NXT, King has fully rebranded himself. He lastly appears like he may be the singles star that he has the potential to be. In 2024, he lastly gained his first main title as he beat Charlie Dempsy to win the NXT Heritage Cup for the primary time.

7

Shawn Spears

Time In AEW: 2019-2023

Shawn Spears has numerous expertise in NXT. Earlier than he joined AEW, he was signed to NXT and was additionally on the principle roster for fairly a little bit of time. And whereas he began off nicely sufficient together with his Excellent 10 gimmick, he by no means had numerous success on the principle roster of WWE. He floated round from feud to feud. In AEW, whereas he was initially a significant signing, he finally acquired misplaced within the shuffle as a background character.

Spears’ time in NXT this time round has seen him achieve some extra notoriety. After years of enjoying second fiddle, he’s lastly being given the prospect to develop. Because the chief of Spears’ Crew, he has been dominating and serving to different abilities develop. He has additionally gained some gold in his personal proper as nicely.

6

Andrade

Time In AEW: 2021-2023

Andrade had a tough go at it in AEW. His debut severely underwhelmed and it appeared like AEW had no clue what to actually do with him. His feud with Matt Hardy was pointless and there have been lengthy stretches of time the place he was not current in AEW. So when he returned to WWE, it felt like he would lastly get the run that WWE and AEW had squandered earlier than.

Up to now, Andrade has accomplished decently for himself. He gained at WrestleMania 40 with Rey Mysterio. He just lately had a terrific collection of matches with Carmelo Hayes. As well as, he’s a former WWE Velocity Champion. However, it appears like there may be a lot extra that he could possibly be doing.

5

Ethan Web page

Time In AEW: 2021-2024

In AEW, Ethan Web page confirmed every thing that it took to grow to be a top-tier, important occasion worthy star. He has the look, the promo potential, and the transfer set. However, like others on this checklist, AEW appeared to not know what they’d with Web page. He was out and in of storylines. ROH appeared like they may have rebuilt him to grow to be a world title contender, however they squandered that as nicely.

Web page in NXT, nonetheless, is a completely totally different story. In solely a matter of weeks after his debut, he gained the NXT Championship. Web page has skyrocketed to the place the place he ought to at all times have been and there actually is a brilliant path in his future.

4

Penta

Time In AEW: 2019-2024

When WWE started displaying vignettes of Penta on tv, it was one thing that actually excited numerous followers. He excelled in AEW, but it surely at all times felt like there was extra that he was able to doing, not simply as a tag crew competitor, but in addition as a singles star as nicely. In WWE, he has gotten that likelihood to shine.

In each match that Penta has competed in up to now, he has accomplished a really extraordinary job. It’s clear that WWE sees quite a bit in Penta as a future star. He was the Iron Man of the lads’s Royal Rumble match in 2025, lasting the longest out of anybody. Along with his time in WWE simply getting began, will probably be nice to see what he does within the years to come back as a member of the WWE roster.

3

Jade Cargill

Time In AEW: 2020-2023

Starpower is one thing that Jade Cargill has at all times had in spades. She was the inaugural and longest reigning TBS Champion in AEW historical past. Followers noticed her develop proper in entrance of their eyes as she constructed up a terrific undefeated streak. She undoubtedly had a terrific profession in AEW and will probably be remembered as such. Nonetheless, it at all times felt like her character was excellent for WWE.

Cargill’s debut in WWE couldn’t have been extra excellent. For months, followers questioned the place she was going to step into the ring. Then, she had a terrific displaying within the ladies’s Royal Rumble. She competed at WrestleMania in a match that helped make her look robust. Up to now, she and Bianca Belair have accomplished nice as WWE Girls’s Tag Workforce Champions. She additionally just lately returned and is ready for a significant feud with Naomi after being out of motion for just a few months.

2

CM Punk

Time In AEW: 2021-2023

CM Punk’s return to WWE was one thing that no person anticipated. Even after the entire drama that surrounded his time in AEW, it might have been onerous to assume again then that Punk would make his approach again to WWE. Nonetheless, that’s precisely what occurred. Punk returned to a thunderous ovation at Survivor Collection 2023. And whereas he ended up getting injured, it allowed him to pursue a five-star program with Drew McIntyre.

Punk’s time in AEW has been documented completely. Whereas it was good for a bit, most of it was a catastrophe resulting from numerous backstage politics. Punk is much better off in WWE, the place he has been a significant asset. He has been doing among the finest work of his whole profession, and he’ll undoubtedly proceed to be a significant asset to the corporate within the years to come back.

1

Cody Rhodes

Time In AEW: 2019-2022

Was there ever any doubt who primary on this checklist was going to be? Cody Rhodes’ departure from AEW was a shock to the skilled wrestling world. He left the corporate that he constructed from the bottom up with The Younger Bucks. However, in hindsight, his time in AEW at all times had this restrict resulting from the truth that he was solely ever in a position to problem for the AEW World Title as soon as. From there, a lot of his feuds felt repetitive.

When he returned to WWE, Rhodes had lastly proven that he was able to be the star he knew he could possibly be. After a two 12 months saga with Roman Reigns, he “completed the story” and gained the WWE Championship. Rhodes has been nice in WWE and has primarily taken the place as the brand new face of the corporate. He’s simply the very best star to leap from AEW to WWE.