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AEW recently announced the signing of WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view event. The World's Strongest Man will serve as a talent scout and coach, as well as a broadcast analyst for the upcoming AEW Rampage show on TNT.
Mark Henry is just the latest ex-WWE star to become 'All Elite.' Other names who have made the switch from WWE to AEW include Chris Jericho, Paul Wight, Christian Cage, Mr. Brodie Lee, Matt Hardy and Miro.
In recent months, WWE has released several talents as part of its unfortunate annual post-WrestleMania spring cleaning/budget cuts. Several of the names let go by the company certainly surprised members of the WWE Universe as they either had a plethora of talent/potential or were being regularly utilized on WWE television.
Nowadays, immediately after a WWE Superstar gets released, the question becomes 'will they sign with AEW?'
However, All Elite Wrestling isn't necessarily the best option for every professional wrestler in their post-WWE career. In certain cases a promotion other than AEW could be considered a "better fit" for the talent.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at two released WWE Superstars who should go to AEW and three who should not.
#5 Braun Strowman (Should go to AEW)
Former WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman was shockingly released by WWE earlier this week. The move came as a surprise to many within the WWE Universe as the Monster Among Men was still being featured heavily on Monday Night RAW.
Braun Strowman was even competing for the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre in one of the featured matches at the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view last month.
While it's been reported that Strowman's large contract may be the reason behind his release during a time in which WWE is looking to cut costs, it is still shocking none the less.
After the initial shock of hearing the former Wyatt Family member's WWE release, the immediate question turned to "Where does Braun Strowman go next?"
A major player for the last six years on WWE television, Braun Strowman will no doubt be an incredibly valuable commodity for any professional wrestling company that he chooses to sign for. Strowman is a former Universal Champion, RAW Tag Team Champion, Greatest Royal Rumble winner and holds the record for the most single eliminations in a Royal Rumble match.
Given his pedigree and name recognition, it appears to be a no-brainer that AEW would be interested in signing the Monster Among Men. Many have been critical of WWE's booking of Braun Strowman over the years. Perhaps a move to AEW will be exactly what Strowman needs to recapture the momentum that he has lost in recent years on WWE television.
#4 The IIconics (Shouldn't go to AEW)
Is AEW the right destination for The IIconics?
The WWE Universe was shocked when it was announced that WWE had come to terms on the release of superstars Billie Kay and Peyton Royce.
The duo previously known as The IIconics were former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. They were certainly popular and entertaining characters amongst the WWE Universe.
But Billie Kay and Peyton Royce had not been presented as a tag team on WWE television in recent months. During an episode of Monday Night RAW in 2020, The IIconics were randomly split up as a tag team after losing a match against The Riott Squad where the losing team was forced to disband as part of a pre-match stipulation.
Peyton Royce would then be drafted to Monday Night RAW, with Billie Kay being drafted to Friday Night SmackDown. The two superstars competed in their own respective storylines before being released in April this year.
Kay and Royce have since spoken about their desire to remain a tag team in their post-WWE careers. While AEW does have a Women's division, it does not have a women's tag team division.
A promotion such as IMPACT Wrestling recently re-established Knockouts Tag Team Championships and has a thriving Knockouts Tag Team division. Therefore, perhaps IMPACT is a better destination for The IIconics in comparison to AEW.
#3 Samoa Joe (Should go to AEW)
AEW and Samoa Joe on paper appear to be a match made in professional wrestling heaven. The Samoan Submission Machine has been widely recognized as one of the best in-ring performers in the industry for the last 15 years.
Samoa Joe's runs with promotions such as Ring of Honor, IMPACT Wrestling and WWE have led to an illustrious list of achievements. Such achievements include being a former ROH World Champion, TNA World Heavyweight Champion, NXT Champion and WWE United States Champion.
Joe was surprisingly released by WWE after WrestleMania 37 in April. The move caught many off-guard as Samoa Joe had just provided color commentary for both nights of WWE's biggest show of the year.
Samoa Joe had been providing color commentary for Monday Night RAW since the summer of 2020. The move to commentary came after a series of concussions prevented the former NXT Champion from being cleared for action by WWE's medical department.
While fans praised Joe for being arguably the best color commentator in WWE, the WWE Universe was anxious to see one of the best in-ring talents on the roster return to competition. However, this did not happen and Samoa Joe was released.
Since then, Joe has remained largely quiet on social media. Speculation is running rampant about where he will land next. Some suggest a return to ROH or IMPACT could be on the cards, while others hope to see Samoa Joe in AEW.
Samoa Joe has already had his time in IMPACT and ROH. AEW would provide Samoa Joe the opportunity to completely reinvent himself with a different crop of opponents in a completely fresh environment.
Matches against the likes of Kenny Omega, PAC, Darby Allin, Sammy Guevera and others are unique and fresh matches for Joe to compete in. Therefore, AEW is likely to be the best destination for the Samoan Submission Machine.
#2 Kalisto (Shouldn't go to AEW)
AEW currently has some of the best high-flying luchadors in the world on their roster.
Names such as Rey Fenix, Penta El Zero Miedo and Laredo Kid have wowed fans of All Elite Wrestling with spectacular moves in fantastic matches. After Kalisto's release from WWE earlier this year, some professional wrestling fans on social media have suggested that the former WWE United States Champion could soon become "All Elite."
However, perhaps Kalisto should consider the options available to him. The AEW roster is considerable in its size and depth. While AEW does produce other television programs such as AEW DARK, AEW DARK: Elevation and the upcoming AEW Rampage show on TNT, it can still be difficult for talent to be featured on the major AEW broadcasts.
Whenever any talent leaves WWE, it is essential that they make the best impact possible in their post-WWE career. Looking at possible options for Kalisto, it is certainly possible that the former WWE Cruiserweight Champion returns to his roots by signing with a Mexican promotion.
Kalisto competed in AAA as Samuray del Sol from 2011-2013. Given his now wider name recognition, he could certainly make a major impact upon returning to the promotion later this year.
Furthermore, Kalisto would be a perfect fit for the X-Division in IMPACT Wrestling. While the X-Division does not have a weight limit and is about a hybrid-style of wrestling, many associate the high-flying lucha libre style with IMPACT's X-Division. Should Kalisto sign with IMPACT Wrestling, there's no doubt he could be the promotion's next big X-Division star.
#1 Aleister Black (Should go to AEW)
AEW fans are already clamoring to see Aleister Black become "All Elite" and sign with All Elite Wrestling.
Aleister Black's recent history with WWE will go down as one of the strangest bookings and management of a WWE Superstar in recent history. During his time in NXT, Aleister Black was revered as one of the brightest superstars in recent memory with a dark, unique character that participated in some incredible matches.
Black's feuds with the likes of Adam Cole, Andrade, Johnny Gargano and The Velveteen Dream have wowed fans of the black and gold brand. However, once Black was called up to the main roster things started to change. Slight tweaks to his character and entrance eventually made Black unrecognizable from the gimmick that was so popular in NXT.
Things came to a flashpoint with WWE when Aleister Black's wife Zelina Vega was released by WWE in October 2020 due to issues over WWE's new third-party edict. Despite only recently being drafted to SmackDown, Aleister Black was off television completely until vignettes began promoting his return after WrestleMania 37 earlier this year.
After several weeks of vignettes hyping Black's 'Tales of The Dark Father,' Black returned two weeks ago on Friday Night SmackDown attacking former Intercontinental Champion Big E.
His release from WWE this week was all the more surprising because of his recent return and weeks of extensive vignettes. However, when one door closes, another opens. Could this new door be "the forbidden door" of Tony Khan and AEW?
A creatively free Aleister Black in AEW would be something absolutely incredible to see. Black facing off against AEW stars such as Kenny Omega, PAC, Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes and Darby Allin appear to be the stuff of dreams for professional wrestling fans. Black becoming All Elite could be something very, very special.
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