Former WWE star to debut at AEW WrestleDream 2026: Three big names to show up on October 17?

AEW/WWE

Following the well received All In London and All Out, AEW will once again return to pay-per-view on October 17 for the fourth annual WrestleDream event in Orlando, FL.

The show has begun to take shape with the confirmation of Mercedes Moné’s AEW Women’s World Title defense against Thekla, however, there is still so much to be determined for the card.

As well as the matches featured on the show we could potentially also see some surprise debuts throughout, as several free agent names are rumored to be of interest to Tony Khan following their exits from WWE.

Here are three potential former WWE stars to potentially debut at AEW WrestleDream 2026:

Sheamus

With Sheamus confirmed to be a free agent at long last yesterday (October 1), there has been plenty of noise regarding where he may end up landing next. According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, Sheamus is expected to be of interest to AEW and several stars on the roster are in favor of him joining the company.

Having spent almost 20 years in WWE, it will be refreshing to see “The Celtic Warrior” spread his wings in a new environment, much like it has been for The New Level (Kofi & Austin Creed) since they debuted in August.

Whether it be to reunite with former tag team partner Claudio Castagnoli or carve out his own path as a singles star, Sheamus debuting at WrestleDream would be a defining moment for the event.

Kairi Sane

Former multi-time WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Kairi Sane has been a free agent since July after being released by WWE three months earlier in April.

“The Pirate Princess” has yet to wrestle anywhere since her departure, however, news emerged in September that she had held talks with AEW. Despite no deal reportedly being agreed between the two sides according to Fightful, it has been noted that she would be on a dual contract if she was to move to AEW.

Given AEW’s partnership with STARDOM and NJPW, a dual contract could see Kairi retain her place in a top North American wrestling promotion, while also getting a return to her homeland. WrestleDream specifically makes for an exciting debut, as she could confront the winner of Thekla and Mercedes Moné – two names she previously met in Japan before moving back to WWE.

Ilja Dragunov

While Kairi Sane and Sheamus are just linked to AEW at this moment in time, Ilja Dragunov has reportedly already put pen to paper with Tony Khan’s company following his WWE contract expiry in August.

If Dragunov is signed already, it’s difficult to imagine AEW waiting any longer than WrestleDream to debut him on TV.

“The Mad Dragon” is a natural fit for AEW and fan will be eager to see him begin to tick off the many, many dream matches on the table for him.

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• WrestleDream
• AEW
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