Former WWE star to join AEW faction: Three groups that could soon grow in numbers?

WWE/AEW

While not quite as common this year than in previous years, we have seen some major WWE names arrive in AEW in 2026; most recently The New Level (Austin Creed & Kofi).

It appears as if they won’t be the last however, as Mara Sadè and Ilja Dragunov have also reportedly signed with the company, while Kairi Sane is said to have been in talks to potentially join also.

New signings immediately joining factions has been a way AEW have debuted stars in the past, with Andrade El Idolo’s second AEW run beginning with him joining the Don Callis Family last year, as well as Jake Doyle.

With that in mind, here are three former WWE stars who could potentially join a faction upon arriving in AEW.

Mara Sadè – Don Callis Family

As mentioned, Mara Sadè is reportedly now under AEW contract after departing TNA Wrestling back in August.

The former Jakara Jackson, has done an excellent job bouncing back from her May 2025 WWE release, successfully reinventing herself and making her own path in the wrestling industry.

We don’t yet know how Sadè will be deployed in AEW, but one way she could be brought in is by pairing her with her real-life boyfriend Kevin Knight.

Not only is there no female members in the Don Callis Family, but there’s also no couple pairings aligned together on a full-time basis on AEW TV. Bringing something new to Knight’s character, Sadè would certainly get a nice push in her own right by aligning with Don Callis.

Sheamus – Death Riders

After almost two decades in WWE, Sheamus exited the company in July after his contract expired. At 48 years old, Sheamus’ future beyond WWE is uncertain, as it’s unclear whether AEW have any interest in signing the four-time world champion.

While he may be in the twilight of his career, Sheamus is still more than capable of putting on “banger” matches and seeing him mix it up with a whole host of new opponents would be a breath of fresh air.

‘The Celtic Warrior’ could certainly carve out a place for himself on his own, but what a lot of fans really want to see is a reunion with former WWE tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli. Formerly known as The Bar, Sheamus and Castagnoli won tag team gold on five occasions in WWE and were a true bright spot in the company in the late 2010s.

Sheamus would fit right in alongside the Death Riders, where he can establish himself in a more serious role on AEW TV, rather than being the fun-loving Irishman that he often portrayed in WWE.

Ilja Dragunov – Don Callis Family

Similarly to Sheamus, Ilja Dragunov departed WWE at the end of his contract in August, and upon doing so, immediately became the most sought after free agent in the game.

At 32, Dragunov has his best years ahead of him, and in AEW he will be able to showcase his immense in-ring talents on a far more regular basis than he did in WWE.

While it would certainly make some fans roll their eyes, AEW could debut Dragunov as Don Callis’ latest prodigy, deployed to take out the biggest names in the company like Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay.

Dragunov and Kyle Fletcher are known to be good friends, with ‘The Protostar’ publicly expressing his excitement following the Russian’s WWE departure. With Fletcher seemingly on the outs with the family, it’d be interesting to see whether Ilja joining would pull him back in or drive him further away.

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• AEW
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