Released AEW Stars To Join WWE

Published: 2 hours ago by SP3 | Last Updated: 2 hours ago by SP3

Born in Harlem, New York and now living in the Bronx, Sid Pullar III aka SP3 is a lifelong wrestling fan who has been covering the industry for over nine years as a podcaster and writer. His passion for the industry has been documented with over 3,000 videos on YouTube and 8,000 written pieces across multiple outlets, such as WrestleTalk, Sports Illustrated and more.

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WWE/AEW

WWE has been getting plenty of attention and headlines thanks to their recent mass talent cuts that saw 24 wrestlers being released.

While it has not happened quite as often as it has in WWE, All Elite Wrestling has had its fair share of released or departed stars from their roster over the past few years.

With the success of former AEW stars in WWE recently, it would make sense for the company to consider bringing in other names who were previously part of Tony Khan’s promotion in the near future.

Here are six released AEW stars to potentially join WWE.

6. Matt Taven

Following the closure of Ring of Honor and its eventual purchase by Tony Khan, the company saw former champions making returns to the promotion.

Matt Taven is the second ever ROH Grand Slam Champion, holding pretty much every title in the company.

Throughout his runs with the promotion, Taven is a former ROH World Champion, multi-time ROH Tag Team Champion, former ROH TV Champion and ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions.

With his resume and experience, Taven feels like someone who can be a solid veteran presence in WWE moving forward.

5. Leyla Hirsch

Leyla Hirsch is someone who has impressed wherever she has appeared throughout her career whether it be for All Elite Wrestling or Ring of Honor.

With her amateur wrestling background, Hirsch was a unique performer thanks to her small stature and underrated strength.

After being a standout in ROH for a few years, Hirsch officially left AEW in February 2025 and has been a free agent ever since.

Now that she is available, Hirsch feels like someone who can offer something new and different to the WWE NXT roster in the near future.

4. Mercedes Martinez

In early January 2026, it was revealed Mercedes Martinez’s AEW contract had expired after a four-year run with the promotion.

The longtime veteran was not used on AEW and ROH TV for the better part of two years before becoming a free agent.

Looking to finish out her impressive career, Martinez could join WWE as a coach or even an in-ring competitor sometime soon.

Whether it be working with the NXT roster or even getting a shot on the main roster, Martinez making her return to WWE would be nice to see after her short stint with the promotion in 2020 and 2021.

3. Stu Grayson

When All Elite Wrestling first started, one of the key acquisitions in 2019 was the Dark Order, consisting of Evil Uno and Stu Grayson.

Widely regarded as one of the most underrated tag teams on the independent scene for years, Uno and Grayson were one of the more featured tandems in the early days of AEW.

After being released from the company in 2022, Grayson made his return and re-signed in 2023 before leaving again in 2024.

While he has found home back on the indies over the past couple of years, Grayson is someone who could be a valuable asset as a backstage coach for younger stars on NXT or even as an in-ring competitor where he can deliver consistently.

2. The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch)

After a two year run with the promotion, The Righteous’ AEW contracts expired in 2025, seeing them leave the company to become free agents.

Vincent and Dutch stood out thanks to their eccentric personalities and signature entrance theme.

Since leaving AEW, The Righteous have since made their presence felt in TNA Wrestling where they are currently embroiled in a rivalry with The Hardys.

Despite their success in TNA, the company’s working relationship may lead to The Righteous making their way to WWE where they could become even bigger stars in the process.

1. KJ Orso

Back in 2021, Fuego Del Sol signed with All Elite Wrestling on the very first episode of AEW Rampage.

Despite this high profile signing, Fuego couldn’t quite find a break during his time with the promotion before his three-year deal expired in 2023.

Since then, Fuego has undergone a fascinating character change, becoming KJ Orso. Now one of the most entertaining and featured heels in companies like GCW, Orso has proven that he had so much to offer than what fans saw from him in AEW.

Considering he is still a free agent, Orso could become a gem for the WWE roster where he would fit in nicely in NXT and become an established heel act that might be to climb the ladder in short order.