Wrestlers are using AEW to go back to WWE, says veteran (Exclusive)

AEW features several former WWE wrestlers on their roster, including some of the promotion's biggest stars. Former World Champions Jon Moxley and Toni Storm are the two most decorated World Champions in the promotion's history, and both of them arrived following their WWE exits.

Since the early days of the promotion's existence, many former WWE wrestlers have joined WWE. However, veteran writer Vince Russo recently revealed a trend that he has seen with these wrestlers on an episode of Writing with Russo on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge.

He claimed that former WWE stars are using AEW as a platform to go back to the Stamford-based promotion. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are the two biggest former All Elite stars who are now back in the promotion. Rusev and Aleister Black also joined them this year, while Andrade was also part of this before he made his return to the All Elite promotion earlier this month.

"On the surface, it looks like people are using AEW to go back to WWE. I mean, that's -what it looks like on the surface. Bro, I guarantee you. At this point in time, Tony Khan is a lot more selective of the people he's bringing in, whereas [earlier] if you left the WWE, all you had to do is make that phone call, and you're that's all you had to do. I think he's been a little bit more selective now," Russo said.

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While Andrade returned to All Elite Wrestling, another former WWE star might be on his way back to the promotion. Inaugural AEW World Champion Chris Jericho has been absent from television for several months now, and the rumors of him making a WWE return seem to be catching fire with every passing day.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Faiz Ahmed