'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
For years, WWE has been the mecca of professional wrestling, but, with time, several different promotions have tried to challenge WWE's undisputed position.
Most recently, Tony Khan realized that when WCW died in 2001, it left a hole so big that no one came close to challenging WWE. Here, the idea of AEW was born.
Due to its popularity, people pay attention when a former WWE star signs with a new promotion. Many stars released by WWE have joined AEW. This article is not about them. This is about those who had the option of going back to WWE or leaving independently, but chose not to.
Here are the 12 successful WWE Superstars who left and signed with AEW.
#12 Cody Rhodes
The man formerly known as Stardust was very successful in WWE, but wanted to be the 'top guy.' He worked in small promotions, went on the road, and paved his own way. For someone who only wrestled in WWE, that was a risk. But, now, that risk paid has off.
Cody was far from a failure in WWE. He was a multi-time WWE World Tag Team Champion, and a 2-time Intercontinental Champion. Bad creative was one of the reasons he left.
An AEW original and practically the company's face, Cody signed on as EVP, explicitly being part of the creative team alongside Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks.
Cody has been one of the main draws of AEW and is willing to lose and not put himself over at the expense of another talent. He has mentored and helped talent. There's no telling where Cody can go, or what lies in his future. Only time will tell.
#11 Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho is perhaps one of the biggest WWE stars to make the jump to AEW. Jericho's accomplishments speak for ifself: a multi-time World Champion, 9-time Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, and a multi-time WWE World Tag Team Champion.
Jericho left WWE in 2018; partly because of the way he was handled. He said that he and Kevin Owens were supposed to main-event WrestleMania 33, but that was changed to Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.
The release from WWE allowed him to explore other opportunities, specifically in NJPW, where he held the IWGP Intercontinental Championship for 209 days.
When the offer for AEW came around, it was an excellent opportunity. Y2J would become the inaugural world champion and the biggest heel in the company. Jericho was a central figure in the assembly, main-eventing and enjoying a great run with the belt before losing to Jon Moxley.
#10 and #9 FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood)
Formerly known as The Revival, FTR was one of the leading tag teams in WWE, winning Tag Team Championships on all three brands. But, like the others, they were unhappy with their time in WWE because of how they were used. In several interviews, FTR said that staying in WWE would diminish their legacy.
FTR has held the AEW Tag Team Championship, managed by WCW legend Tully Blanchard, and is also part of The Pinnacle alongside MJF, Wardlow, and Shawn Spears. The pair have already taken on the likes of The Young Bucks, Santana and Ortiz, Jurassic Express and other teams.
While the pair are far from done in the tag team division, it'll be interesting to see how things shape up for the men who exude an old-school menace.
#8 Paul Wight
The man, formerly known as Big Show, was probably one of the 'most significant' acquisitions in AEW history, serving as a commentator and, recently, wrestled his first match in the company defeating QT Marshall.
To say that Paul Wight is a successful former WWE star is an understatement. His accomplishments include being a multi-time WWE World Champion, 8-time WWE World Tag Team Champion, and several other singles titles over 20 years, and he has wrestled every opponent, big and small.
Wight left WWE because of the frustration of how he was used. He also felt that he wanted to pass on the knowledge he had but inside the confines of the squared circle.
While Wight may not regularly wrestle as he did in WWE, it will undoubtedly be a 'Big Show.'
#7 Dustin Rhodes
Dustin Rhodes was a WWE veteran. As Goldust, he captivated audiences and captured multiple WWE titles in the company, but he was done as that character and wanted to move on.
"With the WWE, I'd had enough. It was time for me to go. It had been such a long, storied career with the Goldust character and, do you know, I really thought that I was going to retire - and then I got pulled in and my passion got reignited when I wrestled my brother, and we had the match of the last decade, probably, if not the last two decades." said Dustin Rhodes.
Dustin's match with Cody at Double or Nothing 2019 was a highlight of Dustin's career and one that will stay in everyone's memory for a long time.
Rhodes is still wrestling and also serving as a producer/coach. He has helped put over young talent as well as being an important influence backstage.
#6 Adam Cole
If anyone could have joined AEW when it began, it would have been Adam Cole. Cole was slated to be a big WWE star but going to AEW was something that he couldn't turn down. AEW's most recent acquisition has already reunited Cole with his friends in The Elite and is set to be a presence on AEW Dynamite. With that said, why would Adam Cole leave WWE?
"I've been here countless times to support for it, and hang out with the crew, and it's just the best crew. The shows are amazing, the fans are amazing. But at the same time, I had really built a reputation for myself there as well. But I knew in my heart pretty early on that I wanted to come here and it's no knock whatsoever on them. I had a very excellent four year experience, but I wanted to come back and work with a crew who I love being around 24/7, a crew that is just as passionate about pro wrestling as I am. And fans that feel the exact same way that we do. So making the decision was a fairly easy one." Said Adam Cole.
Cole's decision to join AEW may have left some NXT fans disappointed, but fans at AEW are certainly ecstatic to have the former WWE superstar.
#5 Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy is one of the more creative people on the AEW roster. In WWE, he was a multi-time Tag Team Champion and enjoyed success in the singles division. When he and Jeff Hardy both returned to WWE in 2017, expectations were high. But it didn't work out that way. Hardy felt that WWE wanted him to move into a backstage role, which he was not interested in.
Indeed, Matt initially came in as "Broken Matt Hardy," but given the lack of crowds, he quickly changed his character to "Big Money Matt" and created his own heel faction, the Hardy Family Office (HFO). This includes the likes of The Butcher and The Blade, Private Party, and The Hybrid 2.
Despite having some setbacks, Matt has been able to keep himself relevant, considering that his career started during the height of the attitude era. It's a testiment to his creative abilities that he's still a presence on television.
Matt is a genuine icon in the world of pro wrestling and AEW is all the better for it.
#4 Brodie Lee
Brodie Lee. That name leaves everyone in tears. The former WWE Superstar left his stamp on the people he worked with. Wrestling in WWE as Luke Harper, the former Intercontinental Champion was an exciting talent in the organization.
In WWE, Lee felt creatively limited, citing a lack of opportunities that made him make his way to AEW. As the leader of The Dark Order, Lee would lead the group to bigger things and feud with Cody Rhodes. Brodie would go on to win the AEW TNT Championship. His last-ever match was with Cody in a dog-collar match. But, sadly, Lee would pass away soon after that.
Lee would pass away at the age of 41. Many AEW and WWE wrestlers still remember him fondly, never hesitating to pay tribute.
#3 Jon Moxley
While Jericho and Cody left WWE years earlier, Moxley's story was different. After a couple of months leaving WWE, Moxley showed up on Double or Nothing PPV in 2019, attacking Kenny Omega and Jericho.
As Dean Ambrose in WWE, Moxley was part of the The Shield alongside Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. He was frequently in the main-event picture, but became frustrated with the creative team.
Moxley would become the AEW World Champion feuding with Jericho and The Inner Circle, which became one of the more captivating feuds in pro wrestling. Moxley's deal with AEW has allowed him to work in NJPW and other smaller promotions like GCW, which he would never have gotten in WWE.
It'll be fascinating to see what Moxley does in AEW and beyond.
#2 Daniel Bryan aka Bryan Danielson
Debuting on the same night as Adam Cole, Daniel Bryan recently main-evented WrestleMania. In a twist few expected, Bryan signed with AEW. Danielson would say that while he enjoyed his time in WWE, he wanted to work with AEW talent.
It wasn't as if Bryan lacked opportunities in WWE. If anything, Bryan had one of the most successful comeback stories in wrestling history. For AEW, signing Danielson was a huge gain because of his star power.
He commands the masses with his in-ring abilities and can connect to any crowd. While it looks like he will feud with Omega and The Elite, Bryan will work with several different people that few thought possible years ago.
#1 CM Punk
What is there to say about CM Punk? The man created an impact on the industry years ago and left it entirely to pursue new opportunities. Seven years later, Punk had his first pro wrestling match, defeating Darby Allin one-on-one at All Out.
Punk's troubles with WWE are well documented. When Punk appeared on WWE Backstage on Fox, many thought that a return to the company was imminent. That was not the case, though there were discussions; in his words, WWE played games.
While Punk was technically released from the company, he had already said his goodbye months earlier. While others who left WWE found their way back, Punk went the other way.
His conversations with Tony Khan were close to two years, and he liked what he saw in the company; especially the way they handled the Brodie Lee situation. Punk will be in AEW for a while, and it looks like that will be a good thing.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
