10 WWE and AEW Stars Who Need to Swap Promotions in 2024
Graham GSM Matthews@@WrestleRantFeatured Columnist IVJune 9, 202410 WWE and AEW Stars Who Need to Swap Promotions in 20240 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
The many fresh and familiar faces popping up fairly regularly in WWE and AEW these days have made the pro wrestling landscape extremely exciting and fun to follow.
It’s led to a a surge of unpredictability that the business hasn’t had in decades. It’s mutually beneficial for the talent with the amount of opportunities they now have available to them.
This is in addition to the countless contracts that are either on the verge of expiring or will soon expire. Free agency is currently stockpiled with stars who would be valuable assets to any company smart enough to land them.
Despite that, there are a number of names who feel stagnant with where they are and what they’re doing—or not doing—at the moment. Ethan Page was the most recent star to leave AEW for WWE, while former WWE women’s champion Mercerdes MonĂ© has been a massive addition to the AEW roster since arriving earlier this year.
Between WWE thriving creatively and AEW picking up steam again heading into the summer, these are the 10 wrestlers who would benefit the most from a change of scenery in the opposing promotion.
Ricky Starks1 of 10
Credit: All Elite Wrestling
More than any other active star on the AEW roster, Ricky Starks should be eyeing the exit for greener pastures in WWE.
The former FTW champion had his last televised match for AEW on the March 30 edition of Collision where he appeared to suffer an injury that caused the contest to be cut short. In an interview with WhatCulture Wrestling, Starks confirmed he’s not currently hurt and that he has “no clue” why he hasn’t been used as of late.
The only explanation is that AEW president Tony Khan is confident that Starks is on his way as soon as his contract expires. No definitive date has been revealed, but it could be as soon as this summer assuming he signed a four-year deal when he joined the company in June 2020.
Starks is not only proficient in the ring but is also exceptionally skilled on the mic and has unparalleled charisma. All of those elements combined would ensure he excels in WWE if afforded the opportunity.
AEW alum Ethan Page has immediately been positioned as a main event player in NXT shortly after arriving and Ricky Starks would likely find himself in a similar spot if he were to make his way over eventually.
Ricochet2 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
In a bit of breaking news, PWInsider reported on June 8 that Ricochet has given his notice to WWE ahead of his contract expiring this summer. As such, he is expected to be written off Raw in the coming weeks.
He arrived in WWE to much fanfare at the onset of 2018 after making a name for himself in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Lucha Underground and on the independent scene. He was showcased as an attraction in NXT and won the NXT North American Championship within a matter of months but saw his stock plummet once he hit the main roster.
Although he’s held the Intercontinental Championship and the United States Championship in the past five years, neither reign was all that memorable. He’s had his fair share of fun matchups and moments, but he’s never felt remotely as special as he should being one of the best high-fliers in wrestling today.
That’s exactly what would make him such a fantastic fit for AEW. It’s safe to assume he’d be lost in the shuffle with there being so many guys who are also aerial experts already on the roster, but the amount of dream matches he could have under that banner are limitless.
Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay alone will be an instant classic.
Hook3 of 10
Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Hook exceeded all expectations upon making his in-ring debut in late 2021 and was the perfect person to hold the FTW Championship—a title created by his father Taz decades earlier—the subsequent summer.
Despite racking up wins over Ricky Starks, Wheeler Yuta, Jack Perry and other top talent, Hook has been seemingly been stuck at the same level for what feels like ages. In theory, feuding with a future Hall of Famer in Chris Jericho should have elevated him to the next level, but their storyline has only cooled him off considerably.
Per SEScoops, Hook’s AEW contract is set to expire later this year and he plans to explore free agency. Additionally, WWE is rumored to have heavy interest, as they should.
The biggest piece missing from Hook’s overall game is the guidance and experience the Performance Center could provide. He’d be an ideal candidate for a run in NXT, where he could further hone his skills and actually ascend the card.
The FTW Championship will only take him so far, and in AEW, he’s bound to get overshadowed by the massive talent pool the promotion already has.
Apollo Crews4 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
WWE has never quite figured out how to best utilize Apollo Crews.
The best run he’s had with the company since signing nearly a decade ago came in the first half of 2021 when he reigned as Intercontinental champion for a four-month period. He found his footing as a heel, only to suffer from subpar booking during his reign and never be booked at that same level again.
Crews experienced a career resurgence when he returned to NXT in 2022 where he came close to capturing the NXT Championship but has hardly had a presence on the main roster for the last year-plus.
It’s clear WWE solely sees him as a stepping stone for the bigger stars, whereas going to AEW might actually allow him to start anew and show the world what he’s truly capable of in the ring.
He’s doomed to remain at the enhancement level for the remainder of his WWE tenure. There’s no guarantee he’d be any more successful in AEW, but being given a fresh batch of opponents to work with—including on the independent scene—could do him a world of good.
Thunder Rosa5 of 10
Credit: All Elite Wrestling
AEW was high enough on Thunder Rosa that she was booked prominently on AEW TV even while still with the NWA in late 2020 into the first half of 2021. Upon putting pen to paper with the promotion, she became the focal point of the women’s division and went on to win the AEW Women’s World Championship from Britt Baker in March 2022.
Between lackluster storylines and being given minimal mic time, her reign fell flat. A career-threatening back injury forced her to relinquish the title that August and lose all the momentum she managed to build up to that point.
It wasn’t until December 2023 that she finally resurfaced, but AEW’s women’s scene had expanded exponentially in her absence. She got her rightful rematch for the title she was never beaten for at Dynasty, came up short and has been a background player ever since.
WWE’s women’s division is equally stacked—if not more so—but a show such as Raw could greatly benefit from having a star of her caliber in its ranks. She’s both experienced and easy to rally behind, making her an excellent opponent for the likes of Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch and others.
Unless she soon sets her sights on the AEW TBS Championship, Rosa’s ceiling in AEW feels limited.
Shayna Baszler6 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
It’s been a great while since Shayna Baszler was last viewed as a legitimate threat to anyone on the WWE roster.
Throughout her tenure in NXT, she was an imposing figure who consistently backed up her trash talking with two dominant reigns as NXT Women’s champion. Unfortunately, her main roster run was botched very early on and she never recovered.
Baszler has been a mainstay in the women’s tag team scene for years with Zoey Stark being her latest partner. Nothing she’s involved in is worth getting excited about with it already being a foregone conclusion that she’ll lose when it matters most.
Even at 43, The Queen of Spades still has quite a bit to offer and would be a welcome addition to AEW’s women’s division. She’d get a fresh coat of paint simply by swapping promotions and may be able lure Ronda Rousey out of her current sabbatical for one more run if she so chooses.
Perhaps she’d fly under the radar there as well, but it’s worth a shot compared to being stuck challenging for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship like it’s Groundhog Day.
It’s high time Baszler remind everyone just how dangerous she can be.
Malakai Black7 of 10
Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Malakai Black’s underwhelming WWE run left fans excited for what he had in store for AEW.
His debut feud with Cody Rhodes established him as a force to be reckoned with right out of the gate, but the follow-up was practically nonexistent. He settled into a midcard role before forming House of Black and disappearing from television for months at a time.
He held the AEW World Trios Championship for a five-month stretch and recently challenged Adam Copeland for the AEW TNT Championship, but his highlights in AEW are far and few between.
It’s important to point out that his last WWE stint occurred when Vince McMahon was still at the helm creatively. Black was a major player in Paul Levesque’s NXT and would presumably be given a fair shot if he were to return to WWE down the line.
When given the proper material to work with in his promos, he comes across like a total star. The WWE presentation would better suit his act and get him closer to championship contention on Raw or SmackDown than in AEW, where it’s apparent he has a certain ceiling.
Sheamus8 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
Fightful Select reported last fall that Sheamus’ WWE contract was set to expire sometime in 2024. Oddly enough, there’s been no update on what his future holds and if he intends to re-sign if he hasn’t already.
He returned from a long layoff shortly following WrestleMania 40 and rekindled his rivalry with Drew McIntyre. He has since shifted his focus toward Ludwig Kaiser, who he put over in a match on the June 3 edition of Raw.
This month marks 15 years that The Celtic Warrior has been wrestling on WWE’s main roster, and in time, he’s virtually done it all. The Intercontinental Championship is the only accolade that has alluded him thus far and it’s possible he’ll remain with WWE until he gets a run with the prestigious prize.
He continues to deliver “banger after banger” every time he steps inside the squared circle and has cemented his spot as a beloved fan favorite toward the top of the card. However, if competing at the highest level is what’s most important to him, a move to AEW would make the most sense.
There, he could mix it up with a ton of talent he’s never crossed paths with before, not to mention the matches he could have in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and AEW’s other partner promotions.
Wardlow9 of 10
Credit: All Elite Wrestling
Wardlow’s fall from grace in AEW has been massively disappointing to watch unfold.
He was wisely positioned as MJF’s bodyguard from the get-go and organically got over as a babyface by turning on him three years into their partnership. He beat the soon-to-be AEW World champion in the biggest match of his career at Double or Nothing 2022 but floundered once he won the AEW TNT Championship shortly thereafter.
Holding that title on three separate occasions did him no favors because he was never booked properly during any of the reigns. There was hope among fans that his heel turn late last year and joining The Undisputed Kingdom would result a renewed push for him, but he’s so far been a non-factor on AEW TV in 2024.
Wardlow is very much a homegrown AEW talent in the same way Jade Cargill was. The inaugural AEW TBS champion has since signed with WWE and Wardlow should follow suit.
His size and appearance would bode well for his chances in WWE. As it currently stands in AEW, there is no reason to believe he will amount to much more than he already has, which would be a waste of his potential if he decides to stay put.
AJ Styles10 of 10
Credit: WWE.com
AJ Styles is scheduled to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Money in the Bank on June 15. Their initial encounter in the main event of Backlash was one of WWE’s best bouts of 2024 to date.
All things considered, The Phenomenal One isn’t in a bad spot these days.
This came after years of him being underutilized at the midcard—and sometimes tag team—level. He was hardly a priority as he entered the twilight of his in-ring career.
Once his current push as the top heel on SmackDown comes to an end, it’s not guaranteed he’ll be spotlighted as much as he has been in recent months. All signs point to him riding off into the sunset while with WWE, but a last hurrah in AEW would allow him to go out on top.
Reuniting with The Elite, a dream match with Kenny Omega and running it back with Kazuchika Okada are among the many possibilities that could come to fruition if he were to join the rival promotion.
The 47-year-old Styles may not be the extraordinary athlete he once was, but he has enough left in the tank for one more big run. Ideally, WWE will treat with him with nothing but reverence in his final few years, but there’s a greater chance AEW would give him the sensational sendoff he deserves.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham “GSM” Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
