6 AEW stars whose partners are signed to WWE or IMPACT Wrestling

AEW has signed some of the biggest names in wrestling over the past few years. The company’s growth has been remarkable and has given many wrestlers a new platform to perform on.

Many wrestlers prefer to work on the same promotion as their real-life partners. However, AEW has signed some stars whose partners are currently working for other wrestling companies.

WWE and IMPACT Wrestling are two of the major promotions that house several partners of current AEW stars. Even though this has caused some problems due to scheduling conflicts, they have worked hard to make things work.

With that being said, take a look at the six AEW stars whose partners are currently signed to either WWE or IMPACT Wrestling.

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#6. AEW star Shawn Spears’ wife Cassie Lee works for Impact Wrestling

Shawn Spears worked for WWE for over ten years, spread across two stints, before he made the move to AEW. He's one of the top wrestlers in AEW and is looking to win his first title soon.

During his time in WWE, Spears formed some great friendships. It was there where he met his future wife Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce). Spears left the company to join AEW, and the couple got married when Cassie was still working for WWE.

Soon after, WWE released Cassie from her contract. Shawn Spears spoke about the possibility of Cassie joining AEW during an interview with Inside the Ropes:

"Obviously they [the fans] would assume that would be the plan because I work there. Her [Peyton] husband works there, that it’s just, naturally she’s going to…Those questions are above my pay grade."

"I don’t have anything to do with the hiring process. Selfishly, of course! Why would I not want my wife working there? Not only do I feel it’d be great to see her on a weekly basis, but what her and Jess can offer our women’s division and the entertainment world is just second to none."

Instead of AEW, Cassie Lee recently signed with IMPACT Wrestling along with her longtime friend Jessie McKay. Shawn and Cassie are one of the few wrestling couples divided between AEW and IMPACT.

#5. AEW star Big Swole is married to WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander

Big Swole is one of the top wrestlers in AEW’s female division. She’s had a few big matches for the promotion during her time with the company.

Swole suffers from Crohn's disease, and that has affected her rise to the top. One person who’s remained by her side is WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander. Alexander is a former NXT Cruiserweight Champion and is working his way through the company as part of The Hurt Business.

The AEW star married Alexander in 2018. The two wrestlers have a daughter, and they’ve constantly shown their love for each other and their child on social media.

Alexander was also present backstage with Swole at AEW All Out in 2020. Even though the two wrestlers wrestle on different promotions, they are working hard to make it on top in their respective companies.

Fans of Big Swole are waiting and hoping for her to win the AEW Women’s Championship sooner rather than later.

#4. AEW powerhouse Brian Cage is married to IMPACT Wrestling ring announcer Melissa Santos

Brian Cage is one of the biggest men signed to AEW. The wrestler is making a living by ripping through his opponents on AEW Dynamite. The former FTW Champion was signed to IMPACT Wrestling for several years and became the top champion of the promotion.

Cage married Melissa Santos in July 2019 after she gave birth to their first baby. The couple met in Lucha Underground where Cage was a wrestler, and Santos appeared as a ring announcer. Santos is signed to IMPACT as a ring announcer and appears for the promotion regularly.

Earlier this year, Santos vented her frustration at AEW and claimed that Cage was being misused by the promotion:

“You see, Brian Cage is a superstar. Those people who know him from indies, IMPACT, Lucha Underground, where I met him, know that he’s a superstar. All you have to do is Google him and watch all his matches, [including] PWG. He’s a superstar and he’s being misused right now.”

Cage will hopefully get the bookings he deserves in AEW soon. The promotion should look to capitalize on his size and strength and move him to the top championship scene.

#3. AEW star Malakai Black is married to WWE Superstar Zelina Vega

Malakai Black made his debut for AEW in July 2021 soon after being released by WWE. Black is a top wrestler well known for his unique character and style.

The AEW star is married to current WWE Superstar Zelina Vega. Even though the two worked for WWE for several years, they never worked alongside each other.

The wrestling power couple is doing well on their respective promotions. During an appearance on The Zaslow Show, Malakai Black admitted that the two have made sacrifices to make their marriage work while working on different promotions:

“Do I see her as much as I want to? No, but we both made a conscious decision. The one we made years ago that we wanted to be professional athletes, and we know what comes with that. She’s no stranger to being on the road. She’s been doing this for 12 years, I’ve been doing this for 21 years. We made a commitment to each other, so yes, sometimes it gets tough, and yes, it requires extra travel and extra sacrifice. But at the end of the day, you have to realize it’s temporary. It’s not going to last forever.”

The AEW star has a long way to go in the industry. Black is seen as a wrestler who can carry an entire division forward. Meanwhile, Zelina Vega recently won the first Queen’s Crown for WWE in Saudi Arabia.

#2. AEW star Andrade El Idolo is engaged to WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair

Andrade El Idolo asked for his release from WWE before joining AEW. The Mexican wrestler has been doing well for the new promotion and will likely lift the AEW World Championship soon.

Behind the scenes, Andrade is engaged to WWE Superstar Charlotte Flair. The two made their relationship public in 2019 and got engaged in 2020.

Flair recently had issues with WWE, according to some reports. Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer reported that Andrade was hoping to have Charlotte and Ric Flair in AEW soon:

“Andrade has told people that he wants the whole family there. And by the family, it’s, you know, RUSH, Bestia, Dragon Lee, him, Ashley [Charlotte], Ric, that’s what he wants. Ashley, you know, I don’t know her. I’m certainly not going to speak for her, I sense that she’s that she wants to be in WWE, that it’s the big leagues to her.”

Charlotte Flair may never join AEW considering how successful she has been in WWE. However, it is something that Andrade could push for in the years to come. AEW would greatly benefit from having a wrestling power couple on the promotion.

#1. AEW star Bryan Danielson is married to WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella

Bryan Danielson has made a name for himself in every promotion he’s worked for, including AEW. The young promotion may well be where the WWE legend retires. He is arguably the best wrestler in the world, and AEW has received a big boost following his debut.

Many fans are aware of the fact that Danielson is married to Brie Bella. Brie worked for WWE as an in-ring performer for several years along with her sister Nikki Bella. The two are currently busy starring in the reality television show Total Divas.

Bryan has revealed that his WWE Hall of Famer wife was supportive of his decision to join AEW:

"Brie's great. She literally just wanted me to be happy. She was always like 'Hey, whatever you decide, I want to 100 percent support you.' So there was never any pressure from her being like 'Hey, this might affect Total Bellas,' or anything like that. She never wants to even talk about that. And so I'm a very lucky man to have such a supportive wife."

Brie Bella has hinted that she could return to the WWE ring for one final run before officially retiring. Meanwhile, Danielson is busy making a name for himself in AEW and helping build some stars on the new promotion.