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WWE had a monopoly over the wrestling business for a long time. However, AEW's inception in 2019 changed that scenario to a great extent.
The birth of the Jacksonville-based promotion triggered a massive change in the landscape of professional wrestling. With the arrival of another major promotion in the North American market, wrestlers suddenly became open to joining an alternative in case things didn't work out for them in the Sports-Entertainment Juggernaut.
As years passed by, more and more WWE Superstars began to leave the company, refusing to be subjected to bad booking in the Stamford-based promotion. Many of these talents ultimately revived their careers by joining All Elite Wrestling.
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Swerve Strickland, Jon Moxley, and Toni Storm are some great examples of former WWE stars attaining the peak of their careers after joining the Tony Khan-led company. However, some specific stars failed to create an impact after joining All Elite Wrestling post-leaving WWE.
In this article, let's look at four former WWE talents whose AEW run failed to live up to the hype:
#4. Deonna Purrazzo has struggled to reach the top in AEW
Deonna Purrazzo is one of the most complete female wrestlers around the globe. The former IMPACT Knockouts World Champion had a two-year-long stint in WWE NXT. The 30-year-old star did not get enough opportunities to shine in the erstwhile black and gold brand.
After her WWE release in 2020, Purrazzo went on to have an excellent run in IMPACT Wrestling. The Virtuosa eventually left the promotion and debuted in AEW in January 2024.
The former NXT star sowed the seeds of a rivalry with the then-reigning AEW Women's World Champion, Toni Storm, in her debut appearance by confronting Mariah May.
Purrazzo clashed with The Timeless Superstar at AEW Revolution, where she failed to defeat the 29-year-old. Following a blockbuster start in the Jacksonville-based promotion, the former ROH Women's World Champion soon became an afterthought in All Elite Wrestling.
Deonna Purrazzo struggled to get television time on Dynamite for a while after her loss to Toni Storm. The Vendetta's leader did have a decent rivalry with Thunder Rosa on Collision, but she ultimately lost that feud as well.
Her pairing with Taya Valkyrie has been far from a success. The duo has lost many matches of late, affecting their momentum to a great extent. It is quite unfortunate that Purrazzo has failed to get a consistent push in AEW, despite being one of the best female wrestlers on the planet.
Purrazzo's arrival was supposed to boost the AEW women's division. Unfortunately, the former IMPACT Knockouts World Champion has fallen down the ranks in the Jacksonville-based promotion, as she is nowhere near the AEW Women's World Championship.
#3. Saraya could not recreate the magic of her WWE run in AEW
Saraya (FKA Paige) was one of the key figures who helped kick off the women's revolution in WWE. An unfortunate neck injury forced The Anti-Diva to retire from in-ring competition in 2018.
After staying away from the squared circle for nearly four years, Saraya shocked the wrestling world in September 2022. The former WWE Divas Champion sent her fans into a frenzy by making her debut at AEW Grand Slam 2022.
The Mysterious Raven-Haired Lady set up a feud with Britt Baker in her debut appearance. While her initial babyface run in the Jacksonville-based promotion was quite entertaining, everything went downhill for the former WWE SmackDown General Manager once she turned heel.
Saraya recruited Ruby Soho and Toni Storm to form The Outcasts, a heel faction that intended to destroy all the homegrown talents in the AEW women's division. The group failed to create a connection with the audience.
Having been away from in-ring competition for a long time, Saraya was no longer as excellent in the ring as she once was. While fans were excited to see a renowned former WWE star in All Elite Wrestling, the audience quickly lost interest in Saraya's character.
Aside from a short run with the AEW Women's World Title, the erstwhile Paige has not been able to accomplish much in the Tony Khan-led company.
#2. Keith Lee could have been a star in AEW
Keith Lee was at the peak of his powers in WWE NXT during 2019-20. The Limitless One also got the opportunity to work with stars like Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns during this time.
Unfortunately, the former NXT Champion failed to get going on the WWE main roster. The behemoth star became a victim of Vince McMahon's poor booking, which eventually led to his release from WWE in November 2021.
It was considered a huge masterstroke when Tony Khan brought Lee to AEW in February 2022. While The Limitless One did generate a great response from the crowd, he did not feel as significant on a bloated AEW roster as he was once in WWE.
The Bearcat's alliance with Swerve Strickland led him to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship. However, the 40-year-old performer could never move up the ranks in the company, as Tony Khan seemingly did not have any plans to put him in the singles title picture.
The Limitless One was set to conclude his personal feud with The Realest One at Worlds End 2023. However, Lee's constant struggles with his health denied him the chance to battle his former ally.
The monstrous star wrestled his last match for AEW in December 2023. The former NXT Champion has been dealing with an undisclosed injury for nearly a year, and there is no update on when he will reappear in the Jacksonville-based promotion.
While he could have found great success as a singles star, Lee's recurring health issues have held him back from becoming the face of All Elite Wrestling.
#1. Adam Cole's AEW run has been full of ups and downs
Adam Cole left the wrestling world stunned by making his AEW debut at All Out 2021. It was a historic night for the Tony Khan-led company, as they had managed to sign arguably the greatest NXT star at the time.
The Panama City Playboy has had a decent run in the Jacksonville-based promotion. The 35-year-old star has bagged a few impressive accomplishments, which include participating in the main event of All In 2023.
However, Adam Cole feels no longer as important in All Elite Wrestling as he did in WWE NXT. The Star of the Show has suffered from inconsistent booking in the Tony Khan-led company.
The Panama City Playboy's recurring struggles with injuries have prevented him from being a permanent top player in the company. The underwhelming second half of the Cole vs. MJF feud also made the fans lose interest in The Star of the Show.
The Undisputed Kingdom has not been able to click with the audience as well as Cole would have hoped for. While he has had his moments of brilliance, Adam Cole's overall AEW run has left a lot to be desired.
