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AEW has made headlines over the past few weeks after revealing several major talent acquisitions.
Names such as Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole, Malakai Black and Ruby Soho have all become "All Elite" and are already making a major impact for All Elite Wrestling.
Many of those names have a common threat, that being their former employer WWE. There appears to be a growing trend of current WWE Superstars jumping ship to AEW.
Other former WWE names rumored to be signing with AEW include Bray Wyatt and WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair.
However, the time will come when some members of the AEW roster decide to try their hand in the world of the competition.
Therefore, let's take a closer look at five AEW stars who could go to WWE at some point in the future.
#5 AEW commentator Jim Ross
WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is a proud AEW original.
Ross opted not to renew his WWE contract in March 2019 and instead decided to sign with All Elite Wrestling in April of that year.
Since then, JR has been the lead announcer for all major AEW events. Ross called the first event in AEW's short history at Double or Nothing in 2019 and has been a mainstay of the promotion's television presence ever since.
In recent weeks there have been rumors and rumblings that JR could be phased out of full-time commentary duties with AEW in the near future. Despite both Ross and AEW President Tony Khan denying these reports, the rumors still persist.
JR's three-year contract with AEW expires in 2022, with the WWE Hall of Famer on the record stating that he would like to take it "year by year" once his current deal expires.
Whilst there will always be a place for JR in AEW, there could come a time when AEW would ultimately like more of a commitment than Ross is willing to make.
This could open the door for a WWE return in the form of a legends deal or a contract in which JR could return to the WWE announce booth on one or two occasions throughout the year.
#4 AEW star Brian Cage
Brian Cage has certainly made headlines recently.
The former FTW World Champion was the topic of discussion on social media after Melissa Santos posted a clip online in which she said that AEW are misusing the former Team Taz star:
“Brian Cage is a superstar. Those people who know him from the indies, IMPACT, Lucha Underground, where I met him, know that he is a superstar. All you have to do is google him and watch all of his matches. He’s a superstar and he’s being misused right now.”
Whilst it hasn't been revealed if Brian Cage agrees with his wife's opinion, it has certainly opened up the discussion about his future with All Elite Wrestling.
The Machine signed with AEW in January 2020 in what is assumed to be a multi-year deal. However, should Cage also feel unhappy that he is being misused, he could potentially feel his services are best suited elsewhere.
Brian Cage was previously signed to a WWE developmental contract in 2008 before being released by the company in 2009. He certainly has the look that WWE usually goes for, so who knows what the future could bring.
#3 Current AEW manager Vickie Guerrero
Vickie Guerrero has an illustrious history with World Wrestling Entertainment.
The peak of Guerrero's wrestling career came in WWE during the mid-2000s where she was the General Manager of both Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown whilst being the on-screen wife of then-World Heavyweight Champion Edge.
She would later go on to manage the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger and Eric Escobar in WWE to various levels of success.
After leaving the company in 2014, Vickie Guerrero largely retired from professional wrestling.
However, she returned in 2019 for AEW as a guest commentator on DARK. She was later revealed as the manager for Nyla Rose in 2020 and briefly the manager of Andrade El Idolo in 2021.
Whilst Guerrero appears largely content with her role in AEW, she still has deep connections with WWE due to her tenure with the company. Should she decide to step away from AEW, there's always the possibility of her signing a legends deal with WWE.
#2 AEW wrestler Andrade El Idolo
AEW star Andrade El Idolo has experienced an interesting start to his All Elite Wrestling career.
The former WWE Superstar was granted his release from WWE in March after an extended period on the sidelines of the promotion left him increasingly frustrated.
After much speculation, Andrade made his AEW debut in June, with Vickie Guerrero being revealed as his new manager. However, just one month later it was revealed that Chavo Guerrero had replaced her.
It now looks like the former NXT Champion could once again be on the lookout for a new manager as Andrade seemingly turned his back on Chavo last week on Rampage.
Some AEW fans have commented that Andrade's AEW tenure so far has been underwhelming and overshadowed by the debuts of Malakai Black, Bryan Danielson and CM Punk.
The former United States Champion still has significant ties to WWE, with his fiancee being none other than current RAW Women's Champion Charlotte Flair.
Should his AEW career continue to be lukewarm, perhaps it could pave the way for a sensational return to the promotion that he left earlier this year.
#1 New AEW signing Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson made his shocking AEW debut just weeks ago at the incredible All Out pay-per-view in Chicago, Illinois.
It has since been announced that Danielson is "All Elite" and has signed a multi-year deal with the company. Obviously this means that Bryan Danielson isn't returning to WWE any time soon.
However, whilst explaining his decision to join AEW, Danielson continually emphasized how much he enjoyed working for WWE. He also made mention of his great relationship with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
One gets the impression that The American Dragon wanted to "scratch that wrestling itch" one more time before his career was said and done. Given that he's already in a dream match with Kenny Omega at Dynamite: Grand Slam, it looks like Danielson is going to do just that.
Given Bryan Danielson's love for WWE and Vince McMahon, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he could return to the company once his AEW contract has expired.
Perhaps Danielson can scratch the itch he needs to and then return to WWE for his farewell matches before his eventual retirement. Given his relationship with McMahon, it's more than possible.
