Published: 3 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 2 seconds ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
WWE
While most stars are under the Raw or SmackDown banner, there are a small number in WWE who are ‘free agents’.
Being a WWE ‘free agent’ differs from the way that the term is used for stars no longer under contract, with that status being one that comes after a non-compete clause expires and before they potentially sign elsewhere.
Within the world of WWE, ‘free agent’ is a star who isn’t attached to a brand, able to appear on Raw or SmackDown.
At the time of writing, there are just seven stars who don’t have a home brand.
AJ Lee
Making her WWE return on the September 5 episode of SmackDown last year, AJ Lee has gone on to hold the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, although she hasn’t been seen since her loss to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 42 in April.
With the WWE Superstars roster page not listing a brand for the star, AJ Lee returned on SmackDown but mostly competed in PLE matches, with a single Raw match to her name.
Brie Bella
The WWE Hall of Famer returned in January of this year at the Royal Rumble and would become Women’s Tag Team Championship alongside Paige at WrestleMania 42 (due to Nikki Bella suffering an injury) Bella & Paige would lose the title at Saturday Night’s Main Event in July, leading to a heel turn for the Hall of Famers as they attacked Paige.
Brie Bella is currently out of action due to an injury suffered during her title loss match, with the star recently suggesting she could be sidelined for three to six months.
Upon her return, it’s likely that Brie Bella will continue to be a free agent, able to cause chaos on Raw or SmackDown.
Danhausen
Debuting at Elimination Chamber back in February, Danhausen turns up where he pleases, much to the displeasure of Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis.
Although listed as a ‘free agent‘, Danhausen is yet to compete on Raw, with most of his televised matches taking place at PLEs or on SmackDown.
Nikki Bella
The 2025 Royal Rumble marked the return of Nikki Bella, only for the star to be sidelined with an injury earlier this year, leading to Paige stepping in and teaming Brie Bella at WrestleMania 42.
It’s likely no surprise that Nikki Bella is, very much like her twin sister, a ‘free agent‘, with the pair no doubt continuing as a tag team in the future.
Oba Femi
His recent match against Bron Breakker may not have unambiguously identified “the future of WWE”, but that’s certainly a moniker that can be applied to Oba Femi.
Since being called up to the main roster earlier this year, Femi has competed on Raw and SmackDown, with the WWE roster page listing him as a ‘free agent‘. Using the star in this way is a strong indication of the faith that higher-ups have in his potential to deliver wherever he appears.
Omos
Unlike the other ‘free agents’, Omos has recently found new purpose in AAA, joining the El Ojo stable, with Dorian Roldan and El Hijo Del Vikingo, and more recently Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio.
Currently suspended after an attack on Rey Mysterio, the two will clash at TripleMania 34 on September 13 with the stipulation that a loss for the ‘free agent’ will see him permanently banned from AAA, while a win will get the star reinstated.
Paige
Returning to WWE at WrestleMania 42 in April, Paige teamed with Brie Bella to become Women’s Tag Team Champion. Her alliance with The Bella Twins may be in tatters, but Paige and Nikki are still very much in each other’s orbits, with SmackDown playing host to their most recent altercation.
The final ‘free agent‘ listed on the WWE Superstars roster page, Paige could take her feud with The Bellas to Raw or SmackDown or reignite her rivalry with AJ Lee on either brand.
Does Being A WWE Free Agent Matter?
Now, there’s a question, if there ever was one. WWE stars are typically locked to a brand, but that doesn’t stop them from appearing on the other show should the creative process head in that direction.
This was the case when The Miz and Kit Wilson, both SmackDown stars, rocked up on this week’s Raw to attack the comedian Matt Matthews, only for Bron Breakker to appear and wreck all three.
There is, of course, a difference between a spot like this and an actual match, although that may come somewhere down the line for The Miz, Wilson and Matthews.
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