Released WWE Stars To Join AEW

WWE/AEW

On April 24, WWE released 24 wrestlers in the latest round of talent cuts from the main roster and NXT.

From established names to up-and-coming stars, there are a variety of talents that will now be available and could make the jump to All Elite Wrestling when their non-compete clause expires.

These released WWE stars could add a great deal to the AEW roster and add further depth to the talent that appears on Ring of Honor as well.

Here are eight released WWE stars to potentially join AEW.

8. Santos Escobar

Back in October 2025, Santos Escobar’s WWE contract expired. Then, the company decided to re-sign him just one day later.

With reports stating that he was in line for big plans, Escobar would make his next appearance in Lucha Libre AAA where he was being positioned in a feud with El Hijo de Dr Wagner Jr.

While he had a prominent spot in AAA, Escobar got injured and was set to be sidelined for a little while until he was released from WWE in this round of talent cuts.

Escobar being available could see him join forces with his longtime friend RUSH in LFI on AEW TV when he is healthy and ready to step back in the squared circle.

7. Zoey Stark

Another injured star who was released by WWE in this latest round of talent cuts is Zoey Stark.

Suffering a serious knee injury in 2025, Stark had been sidelined for over eight months and looked to be getting ready for her return.

However, Stark is now gone from WWE and will look for a new lease on her career outside of the company.

Based on her experience and ability inside the ring, Stark feels like someone who can offer a lot to both the AEW and ROH women’s divisions if she signs with Tony Khan’s promotion.

6. Tyra Mae Steele

Following her Olympic Gold Medal win in the 2021 Olympics, Tyra Mae Steele made the transition to pro wrestling and signed with WWE.

After training at the WWE Performance Center, Steele became one of the breakout stars and eventual Season One winner of LFG.

This gave Steele an NXT contract, but she wound up becoming a mainstay on the WWE Evolve brand instead.

After being released from WWE, Steele could continue her passion in wrestling by signing with AEW where she would be an ideal fit in Ring of Honor at this stage of her career.

5. Joe Gacy

Before signing with WWE, Joe Gacy was known as one of the most prominent stars on the independent scene.

Signing with the company in 2020, Gacy first made a name for himself on WWE NXT before being called up to the main roster in 2024.

Joining forces with Uncle Howdy in The Wyatt Sicks, Gacy formed a duo with Dexter Lumis that went on to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in 2025.

Despite his accolades and success, Gacy is now gone from WWE and could be an excellent pickup for All Elite Wrestling where he has some supporters in the form of his independent peers like MJF.

4. Nikki Cross

Nikki Cross has long been one of the best character workers on the entire WWE roster.

Whether it be as a member of SAnitY or as Nikki ASH, Cross has made anything given to her from the company work to her favor.

In her role with The Wyatt Sicks, Cross has unfortunately not competed in the ring on WWE TV since September 2024.

Cross is someone who could help to bolster the AEW roster and offer her years of experience to younger stars in the women’s division right now.

3. Alba Fyre (Kay Lee Ray)

Many fans were surprised to hear Alba Fyre part of this latest round of WWE releases due to her consistent role alongside Chelsea Green on Friday Night SmackDown.

Since signing with WWE, Fyre has accomplished a lot, including a record-breaking reign as NXT UK Women’s Champion.

With a reign as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Isla Dawn as well, it always felt like the company hadn’t even scratched the surface of what Fyre could offer to the women’s scene.

Now free to become her true self again, Fyre, also known as Kay Lee Ray, will have a ton of advocates on the AEW roster to bring her in where she could excel against the likes of ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm, Alex Windsor and Jamie Hayter.

2. Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)

Back in 2024, many fans believed The Motor City Machine Guns were on their way to All Elite Wrestling after leaving TNA Wrestling.

However, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley went on to sign with WWE and quickly won tag team championship gold in their third match in the company.

Despite their initial success, Sabin and Shelley only had sporadic appearances in recent months before getting released in this round of cuts.

Now that they are set to become free agents, it feels like a no-brainer signing for AEW to bring The Machine Guns in to compete against the star studded duos in the company like The Young Bucks, FTR, and Adam Copeland & Christian Cage upon debuting.

1. Kairi Sane

Out of all of the WWE releases, there was no one more surprising than Kairi Sane.

Having a prominent storyline with Asuka and IYO SKY on Monday Night Raw, Sane is someone who has been a consistent contributor on WWE TV and it has saddened many fans to see her now gone.

With “#WeWantKairi” trending on social media, AEW would be wise to call upon the former Kabuki Warrior to bring into the company.

Considering her friendship with Mina Shirakawa and a strong endorsement from Kenny Omega, Kairi feels like someone who may get a look from Tony Khan to bring in as a major acquisition that could become a major star in the AEW women’s division.

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