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AEW has released quite a number of wrestlers in its four-year existence thus far. When the promotion first started, there was limited television time for Tony Khan to showcase his roster.
This deprived a number of wrestlers of the opportunity to perform consistently. It's no surprise that they decided to leave for greener pastures upon the expiry of their contracts.
WWE SummerSlam is right around the corner, and for a few former AEW stars who are currently free agents, this could be a chance to join the Stamford-based company and make a huge impact. Here are four wrestlers who could make a surprise debut at SummerSlam.
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#4. Former AEW star Joey Janela could debut in the WWE SummerSlam Battle Royal
Former AEW wrestler Joey Janela has expressed an interest in joining WWE. The Bad Boy was one of the first signings for Tony Khan's promotion. While he was one of the more prominent talents in the beginning, he gradually became lost in the shuffle and left the company last year.
In an interview with the Haus of Wrestling podcast, Janela said:
“I have goals right now, and one of them is the WWE. I’ve talked to people about it, and stuff, but not now, not anytime soon. I’m still 33. I’ve always said over the last five years, I can see myself signing to WWE when I’m 36. I don’t know why. 36? I don’t know. But I still have goals in Japan. I have goals. I’m having fun," Joey Janela said. [H/T Haus of Wrestling]
Given the Bad Boy's hardcore style of wrestling, he might not seem like a good fit for WWE's family-friendly style of sports entertainment. But there's no denying that it would elevate his career and give him the exposure that he only briefly received in AEW.
The 15-year veteran might just be a great choice to be part of the WWE SummerSlam Battle Royal that was announced on SmackDown this past Friday.
#3. Fuego Del Sol could join the LWO
Speaking of potential Battle Royal participants, perhaps another former AEW wrestler that could join the field would be Fuego Del Sol.
The perennial underdog made his All Elite Wrestling debut back in 2020, carving a nice run for himself on AEW Dark and Dark: Elevation throughout the pandemic era. While Fuego was offered a full-time contract with All Elite Wrestling in August 2021, the masked wrestler never managed to scale the heights of his close friend, former TNT Champion Sammy Guevara.
On June 22, 2023, Fuego left the company after his contract expired. He would later put out a tweet thanking everyone for their love, support, and heartfelt messages.
He would be an excellent candidate to join the LWO and expand the faction's reach. There's no better mentor for Feugo to learn from than the masked luchador legend himself, Rey Mysterio.
#2. Big Swole could join Hurt Business 2.0
Big Swole parted ways with AEW in late 2021 under a cloud of controversy. She would claim to suffer discrimination in the company, which brought out a rebuttal from the owner, Tony Khan.
Swole signed with AEW in late 2019 and wrestled regularly on TV during the early years, even building a following on AEW Dark. However, she wasn't able to win any championship gold or carve out any compelling storylines, despite the thin women's roster at the time.
Swole happens to be married to current WWE Superstar Cedric Alexander. With rumblings that Cedric's former faction mate, Bobby Lashley, is hinting at reforming the Hurt Business once again, this might be the ideal window for Swole to align with her husband and make her WWE debut in the group.
#1. Brian Pillman Jr. could feud with Dominik Mysterio
Brian Pillman Jr. recently departed AEW after nearly four years with the company. But the second-generation star is not content to rest on his laurels. It was reported that the young wrestler was recently spotted at WWE's Performance Center ahead of a rumored move to join the sports entertainment juggernaut.
In an interview with Captain's Corner, Pillman Jr. hinted that a "huge opportunity" is just around the corner for him:
"It’s a tough business. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll. But, being here today and getting to reminisce on some of my past moments in my career has really cheered me up and put me in a position to where I’m excited for the future. There’s a lot to come. I can’t speak on it right now. It’s kind of in the works right now but I’ve got a huge moment, a huge opportunity coming up in my career to continue making memories, continue coming up with new gear ideas and sharing my idea of pro wrestling with you all," said Pillman Jr. [H/T Post Wrestling]
With his lineage and the history the late Brian Pillman has with WWE, the young star joining the same organization would be an awesome moment for longtime fans. Imagine the babyface reaction he would get were he to confront another fellow multi-generational star, Dominik Mysterio.
While that might seem like a major spot to debut in, Pillman Jr. has shown in past interactions with the likes of MJF that he is capable of making an impact in the ring and on the mic, given the right opportunity and mentorship.
