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AEW and WWE have been going head-to-head for the past year and both companies haven't shied away from taking shots at each other. The global sports entertainment juggernaut has heavily started counterprogramming in the coming weeks and they have targeted AEW's biggest annual show, All In.
Not only that, WWE signed multiple former AEW stars like Rey Fenix, Malakai Black, Penta, Rusev, Ricky Starks, and many others. Mariah May is the most recent WWE signee. However, Tony Khan has turned his focus to seemingly bagging promising stars who have a great future ahead. Kevin Knight, Mina Shirakawa, Mike Bailey, and Alex Windsor are some of the great hires by the AEW President recently.
Over the past few weeks, WWE has released several wrestlers, and numerous contracts were left to expire. However, while AEW stands as a viable option for them, the stars could still want to go back to WWE after proving their worth, rather than starting fresh in the Jacksonville-based promotion.
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It will be interesting to see which stars would prefer returning to the global sports entertainment juggernaut instead of becoming All Elite.
#3. Baron Corbin
The former United States Champion was among the top stars in the main roster of WWE. Despite having a huge potential, he couldn't become a fan-favorite as expected due to inconsistent booking. He was released from the Stamford-based promotion in November 2024. The star is currently wrestling on the independent circuit.
Baron Corbin, who goes by the moniker Bishop Dyer on the independent circuit, has been a free agent for many months and still hasn't joined a major promotion yet. The Tony Khan-led promotion currently consists of a huge roster and doesn't need a new former WWE star. If the Lone Wolf reinvents himself and impresses people who matter, he could go back to WWE.
#2. Matt Cardona to return to WWE?
Matt Cardona has been one of the most popular stars on the independent circuit. After being released in 2020, the Deathmatch King hustled his way across different independent promotions and made a huge name for himself. His WWE run consisted of a couple of major championships. However, besides that, the company didn't push the former Zack Ryder when he was signed with the global sports entertainment juggernaut.
During his time as a free agent, Matt Cardona made a handful of appearances in AEW. After his latest appearance last year, rumors were floating around that Tony Khan had offered a contract to The Indy God but the latter himself denied it. He has also shown interest in signing with the Stamford-based promotion where Triple H heads creative now.
#1. Which promotion will Elayna Black return to - WWE or AEW?
Elayna Black, fka Cora Jade, was one of WWE's biggest NXT asset. She spent multiple years on the developmental brand and built her name. While many believed that the star was ready to move to the main roster alongside her friend, Roxanne Perez, she was released by the promotion shockingly.
With the arrival of Thekla and Mina Shirakawa, AEW's women's division is stronger than ever and it seems unlikely that Elayna Back could become All Elite. Therefore, after working hard, she is likely return to WWE when the right opportunity arrives.
It will be interesting to see if any other stars manage to return to WWE rather than join the Jacksonville-based promotion.
