Several AEW stars have transitioned to WWE, with mixed results. Danhausen has thrived, becoming a top merch-seller, while Aleister Black was recently released after a brief return.
Is the grass always greener on the other side? Not so when it comes to the world of pro-wrestling, where the past few weeks have provided a pointed reminder about the uneven fates of those who switch from AEW to WWE.
On one hand, you have Danhausen, a comedy mid-carder who had pretty much disappeared from television during his time with Tony Khan’s promotion. Yet after a surprise move to WWE, the face-painted one has suddenly become a shining star on “SmackDown,” even emerging as one of the top-three merch-sellers at this year’s WrestleMania.
Contrast that with the fate of Aleister Black, the former AEW Trios Champion who made the switch back to WWE last year. Despite getting hype video packages and a nascent feud with Randy Orton, the martial artist-turned-wrestler was unceremoniously released from the company last week, along with his wife Zelina Vega.
Of the 17 names so far who have moved from AEW to WWE over the past five years, who are the least and most successful? Here’s our assessment of where they stand.
Danhausen has plenty of new fanhausens already in his WWE run.
(WWE via Getty Images)
Sure, Danhausen is riding high right now, selling merchandise like nobody’s business and getting the crowds to shout his catchphrase. But given he’s only a few months into his WWE run, it still feels too quick to pass a firm judgement. Things can change quickly in pro-wrestling — particularly for novelty acts.
Danhausen is one of the most successful AEW stars in WWE, becoming a top merch-seller after his move.
Aleister Black was released from WWE shortly after returning, despite initial hype and a feud with Randy Orton.
Seventeen wrestlers have made the transition from AEW to WWE over the past five years.
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega are among the least successful, as Black was released shortly after his return.
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Like Danhausen, Royce Keys is getting one hell of a television push, suggesting that WWE sees massive potential in him. That said, we still don’t really know what those plans might be, which makes it a bit too early to call him a success or failure.
Paige's shock return was one of the few surprises at WrestleMania 42, though you’d have to be a braver man than me to predict where things might go next. She might already have a belt around her waist (albeit a tag-team championship), but she still has plenty to prove — not least given the lukewarm reaction to her AEW run.
Paige (right) and Brie Bella are the reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
(WWE via Getty Images)
Over the past few years, Andrade’s moves between AEW and WWE have reached comic proportions, racking up four separate switches. While he might be doing well in AEW right now, that doesn’t change the fact that his last WWE run was a colossal failure, not least given the undignified circumstances of his departure.
Bea Priestley was one of the first AEW wrestlers to leave the company, getting released from her contract when Covid left her stuck in Japan. Due to the pandemic, it took her a year to be signed to WWE, where she was sent to the since-abandoned NXT UK. Despite getting the call-up to “SmackDown” in 2024, she seldom got booked and was quietly released last year.
Going from AEW to WWE’s developmental promotion is no bad thing per se (as the success of some other names will testify). But to end up stuck as a secondary player in an underwhelming faction — The Culling — isn’t exactly ideal. It all feels a long way from two years ago, when Shawn Spears was being presented as a plausible challenger to the NXT Championship.
It's one of the enduring mysteries in modern WWE: Why haven't they put the Lucha Brothers together as a tag-team? In fairness, it probably isn't a priority for one half of the duo, Penta, who has been flying high as a singles star. Not so much for Rey Fenix, who has been left struggling to get booked on "SmackDown."
Rey Fenix's WWE career has not gotten off to a stellar start.
(WWE via Getty Images)
Here’s more proof that teaser video packages aren't always the best indicator of success in modern WWE. When Brian Pillman Jr. made the switch from AEW to NXT back in 2023, his arrival was preceded by some deliciously retro teasers. Almost three years later, the second-generation star is still stuck on Tuesday nights, struggling to capture that initial spark of excitement.
Things were looking rosy for the former House of Black leader when he made his return to WWE last spring after weeks of teaser video packages. Despite a solid feud with Damian Priest, the Dutchman never really got the push he wanted, leading to him being released from the company last month.
Aleister Black and his wife, Zelina Vega, both found themselves among WWE's post-WrestleMania cuts.
(WWE via Getty Images)
Work had largely dried up with Miro over in AEW when he made the decision to return to WWE last year. After being unveiled on the “Raw after Mania,” the Bulgarian brute launched straight into a feud with his old ally Sheamus, before seeming vanishing from our screens. That said, things have looked slightly brighter of late, with Rusev being re-inserted into the Intercontinental Title picture.
Ethan Page has always felt like one of those stars who would do better in WWE than AEW. He's a talented wrestler, sure, but his real edge comes from his telegenic charisma. True to form, Page has been a super fun heel in NXT, particularly when working with Chelsea Green, and now looks primed for success on “Monday Night Raw.”
Blake Monroe is set to make her main roster debut this week.
(WWE via Getty Images)
There were some raised eyebrows when the former Mariah May was sent to NXT after her switch from AEW to WWE. While we don't know the full reasoning for the decision, the British starlet has made a decent go of it on Tuesday nights, embarking on a strong run with NXT’s North American Championship. Let's see how she does on "SmackDown" when she makes her debut this week.
Of all the names in this list, WWE's signing of Jade Cargill felt the most like a flex, with Triple H luring the former TBS champion with an offer she couldn’t refuse. Since joining the big league, Cargill has confirmed what we all knew: The woman looks a million dollars on the screen — though she still feels a few rungs below some of the other marquee names on the roster.
Ricky Saints has hit the ground running in the WWE.
(WWE via Getty Images)
We all remember the “Tony fumbled” chants that greeted Ricky Saints’ arrival in NXT early last year. Almost 18 months on and the veracity has held up, with Saints cementing his reputation as one of the most watchable talents in NXT (and one of a select few to beat Oba Femi). His first outing on “SmackDown” showed how highly WWE rates him, resulting in an exhibition bout against Cody Rhodes.
Forget the teaser video packages: The real sign that you've made it is when they're doing whole episodes of “WWE Unreal” about you. That's the reality for Penta, who has been on a tear ever since being unveiled on WWE’s Netflix premiere last year, resulting in a strong run with the mid-card Intercontinental title. Could he eventually make a push into the upper card? That's the big question for the no-fear luchador.
Cody Rhodes (R) and CM Punk have become two of WWE's biggest stars.
(WWE via Getty Images)
When your return to WWE is preceded by a visit from Vince McMahon (then still in charge of the company) calling for you to come back, you know the odds are probably in your favor. Even so, it’s worth noting just how well things have gone for Cody Rhodes since his bombshell return to WWE four years ago — not just finishing the proverbial story with an unforgettable finale at WrestleMania XL, but also having the torch passed to him by John Cena at last year’s SummerSlam.
All of that is mighty impressive for a man whose star looked to have faded during the final months of his time with Tony Khan.
Watching Punk's iconic return at the 2023 Survivor Series, it's easy to forget what a risk it was at the time. Whoever you blame for the events at All In, it was clear from outer space that Punk had burned his bridges in AEW, making him two-for-two when it came to alienating major wrestling promotions. Then, against the odds, “The Second City Saint” made his triumphant return to his former employer, embarking on what must be the most consistently successful run of his career to date.
Given that he’s gone on not only to win the WWE world title but also to achieve his personal goal of main-eventing WrestleMania — not once, but twice — you have to give Punk the edge when it comes to being the single most successful AEW-to-WWE switcher.
