Former AEW Stars To Re-Sign With The Company

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With AEW now being around for seven years as a promotion, enough time has passed to see many names walk out the door and eventually make their return.

The most prominent recent example of this has been current AEW National Champion Andrade El Idolo, who departed AEW back in 2023, only to return following a two year stint back in WWE.

With Andrade’s current run already arguably eclipsing his first, perhaps we could see other former AEW stars brought back into the company for another go around.

Here are five former AEW stars to potentially re-sign with the company.

5. Malakai Black

The highest profile potential AEW returnee on the free agent market right now has to be Malakai Black.

Black, like Andrade, departed AEW after a rather lacklustre spell in the company, only to find himself having an even worse time back in WWE.

Black’s WWE return only lasted one year, with the Dutch star being released by the company – alongside his wife Zelina Vega – back in April.

There are certainly doubts whether AEW will bring Black back considering how he seemingly rubbed some the wrong way during his first run, however, Andrade was no stranger to controversy during his own initial AEW tenure and he has turned things around, so perhaps Black should be allowed another shot too.

4. Jeff Cobb

Another WWE release over the Spring months was Jeff Cobb (JC Mateo).

Like Black, Cobb’s WWE spell only lasted a year, and during the entirety of that 12 months he was a background player in The MFTs group.

While Tama and Talla Tonga have remained, Cobb and Tonga Loa were casualties and both were let go in May. It’s not all bad however, as Cobb has picked up where he left off and returned to wrecking people in NJPW.

Although Cobb was never signed to AEW, NJPW’s partnership with the promotion previously resulted in him making appearances in the company, and the same could happen once again this time around.

3. Bea Priestley

When AEW first started up in 2019, the UK’s Bea Priestley was among the first crop of female talent appearing on television.

Priestley competed on the very first All Out and Full Gear pay-per-view events, however, her time in the company was cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic halted international travel.

Priestley hasn’t appeared in the company again since 2020, as she instead made the jump to WWE in 2021 and spent three years there before being let go in 2024.

Now working in STARDOM, AEW’s partnership with the promotion – like Jeff Cobb with NJPW – could result in her making a return in some fashion and potentially inking a contract with Tony Khan.

2. Priscilla Kelly

Sharing the ring with Bea Priestley back at AEW All Out 2019 was fellow WWE NXT alum Priscilla Kelly, who has now been a free agent for over a year after being released by WWE in May 2025.

Embracing the independent scene once again, Kelly has turned out for the likes GCW and MLW, but has not yet made a return to All Elite Wrestling.

Kelly was never signed to AEW and she only wrestled a handful of matches between 2019-2020, but with four years of TV experience in WWE NXT under her belt, she would certainly not be out of place among the AEW women’s roster.

With her real-life partner Zachary Wentz now also under contract with the company and AEW embracing a more hardcore edge to their women’s wrestling, Kelly would be perfectly suited to a permanent move to the company.

1. Marko Stunt

The past 12 months have been a bit of a ride for Marko Stunt, as, after over a year away from the ring, the former AEW star announced his retirement in October 2025.

However, six months later Stunt swapped his new job as a car salesman for his boots and tights, as he returned to the ring and signed with PRODUCE.

Jack Perry and Luchasaurus are once again representing Jurassic Express, so perhaps Stunt’s recent return to the ring could eventually pave way for him re-signing with AEW?

With Luchasaurus out of action for the entirety of 2026 thus far, Stunt could team with Perry and go after the AEW World Tag Team Titles, before all three target Trios gold once Luchasaurus comes back.

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