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Until recently, WWE has been the primary destination for most professional wrestlers, who desire to make a good living working in the industry they love. With that said several companies have emerged in recent years that allow wrestlers an alternative way to make money outside of the Stamford-based company. TNA, MLW, NJPW, and AEW are just a few promotions that provide options for men and women who don't go to WWE for whatever reason.
Ever since AEW exploded onto the scene in 2019, numerous former WWE Superstars have signed with the Jacksonville, Florida-based company. Stars like Chris Jericho and Bryan Danielson are just two of the names who were once on the WWE roster but are now thriving with AEW. However, some left WWE, thinking the grass might be greener on the other side, but things have not worked out quite as well as they may have hoped. Here is our list of 5 former WWE Superstars who have lost their thunder in AEW:
#5. One-half of the former NXT Tag Team of the Year - Big Cass(Big Bill)
When WWE restructured its development system, and rebranded FCW into NXT, Big Cass and Enzo Amore were part of the cornerstones that contributed to the massive success that the yellow brand enjoyed early on. While Enzo and Cass were two completely different-looking performers, they complimented one another perfectly with Enzo's stellar mic skills, combined with Big Cass's size and enormous presence.
Towards the end of his WWE run, Big Cass admitted to struggling with issues stemming from addiction, depression, and other personal vices, which led to his departure in 2018. Cass has since sought professional help and appears to be clean, sober, and doing much better. He signed with AEW in 2022 and despite holding the Tag Team title recently, he still appears to be in a stagnant position with the company. Now known as 'Big Bill', fans look forward to seeing if he can regain the momentum he once enjoyed as a WWE Superstar.
#4. Former NXT Champion Keith Lee
After years of success on the independent scene, Keith Lee signed with WWE in 2018 and began working on the NXT roster. Lee was extremely popular with the fanbase and despite being a big guy, tipping the scales at nearly 350 pounds, he possesses the agility of a cruiserweight. He has often been compared to other big guys who are agile, such as Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow.
Keith Lee reached his pinnacle at the 2020 Great American Bash where he defeated Adam Cole in a Winner Takes All match for the NXT and the North American titles. Lee eventually moved up to the main roster, the night after the 2020 SummerSlam event. His main roster run was thwarted in 2021 when he was sidelined for several months due to contracting COVID. He was released later in the year, just after WWE attempted to repackage him as 'Bearcat'.
Lee signed with AEW in February 2022 and fans believed this would be the opportunity Keith needed to regain the momentum he once had. Unfortunately, his route to relevance hasn't been what many anticipated. Despite a short tag title run with Swerve Strickland, Keith has yet to climb back to the top of the superstardom mountain.
#3. 2-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion Neville (PAC)
It's been a while since AEW fans have seen PAC in action, which is a result of nagging injuries that he sustained in 2023. This doesn't help matters for the Newcastle brute, considering his status with AEW has lately not been anything to write home about. AEW did show signs of hope at one point when they crowned PAC as the inaugural All-Atlantic Champion. However, the company never capitalized on his title reign, which led to him getting lost in the ever-growing mix of mid-carders in AEW.
Before signing with AEW, PAC was known by WWE fans as Neville. Having signed with the company in 2012, Neville was a huge part of NXT's groundbreaking success during the FCW rebranding phase. His NXT run culminated with a main event win over Bo Dallas at the 2014 Arrival event, where he won the NXT Championship. Neville carried the title for nearly a full year before eventually moving up to the main roster. Due to disputes regarding his contract details, WWE released Neville in early 2018.
#2. 3-time WWE United States Champion Rusev (Miro)
In 2010 WWE took a chance on a little-known Bulgarian wrestler who had minimal experience, although he looked the part. This person would become known by fans as Rusev. With his real-life partner Lana, Rusev went on to become one of the top names in the company, becoming a 3-time United States Champion. Rusev also faced John Cena in an epic showdown at WrestleMania 31. Despite losing to Cena, this would go down as one of Rusev's most memorable moments while with the company.
As a result of the COVID-19 budget cuts, a slew of WWE Superstars were released in 2020. One of the most surprising names on that list was Rusev. He would go on to sign with AEW in 2020 and began working under the name Miro. There was a lot of hype and hope surrounding Miro becoming "All Elite". Unfortunately, the company has done very little to capitalize on such a big name in professional wrestling. While he has held the TNT title, Miro has yet to reach the main event level that many fans feel he deserves.
#1. 8-time WWE Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy)
Matt and Jeff Hardy made their WWE debut in the late '90s and as we all know, they would go on to become arguably one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history. With a list of accolades a mile long, The Hardys have cemented their legacy as one of those tag teams who stand leagues apart from the majority of the pack.
Jeff joined Matt in AEW in 2022, after taking some time to work on his mental and physical well-being. Since reuniting, The Hardys have not been able to showcase their full potential in front the AEW fans. Considering the history and everything the Hardy Boyz have meant to professional wrestling for decades, it's a travesty that they have not been able to provide the AEW faithful the level of entertainment they are accustomed to.
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