4 Stars who quit wrestling altogether after leaving AEW

AEW is home to some of the greatest pro wrestlers of the modern era. Since its inception in 2019, the Jacksonville-based promotion has constantly challenged WWE's monopoly over the wrestling business.

Numerous underutilized stars like Toni Storm, Jon Moxley, and Swerve Strickland have revived their respective careers in the Tony Khan-led company. However, some individuals were eventually removed from the AEW roster, as they could not create much impact in the promotion.

Several former AEW stars ultimately transitioned into other ventures after parting ways with the Tony Khan-led management.

In this article, let's look at four stars who quit wrestling altogether after leaving All Elite Wrestling:

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#4. Zak Knight has stepped away from pro wrestling

Zak Knight joined All Elite Wrestling in late 2023. While he only made a handful of appearances in the Tony Khan-led company, Knight was fairly active in Ring of Honor.

The English star also featured in his sister Saraya's Outcasts faction for a while on AEW television. It was reported in March 2025 that Zak Knight departed All Elite Wrestling after the expiration of his deal.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Saraya revealed what her brother has been up to since leaving the Jacksonville-based company. The former Anti-Diva, who herself left the company recently, stated that Knight had opened a food truck in Norwich.

According to Saraya, the 33-year-old star is keen on spending time with his family and focusing on his business, indicating that he is no longer a pro wrestler. While Zak Knight has seemingly distanced himself from the wrestling business, his sister is keen on returning to the ring at some point.

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#3. Big Swole has been absent from in-ring competition for more than two years

Big Swole was part of the AEW roster during the formative years of its women's division. The 35-year-old star left the promotion in November 2021 after Tony Khan controversially refused to renew her contract.

Swole wrestled a few matches on the independent circuit following her exit from AEW. However, the talented star had to pause her in-ring career due to Crohn's disease.

In a recent interaction with Chris Van Vliet on INSIGHT, Cedric Alexander revealed that his wife was more interested in an announcer role at the moment, as physical combat had taken a toll on her body.

While Big Swole has been away from the squared circle since August 2022, Alexander stated that the former AEW star wished to come back to pro wrestling at some point in the future.

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#2. A.Q.A. has not been active in the pro wrestling industry

A.Q.A. had a six-month-long run with All Elite Wrestling in 2022. The young star also wrestled in WWE NXT for a while as Zayda Ramier, facing top stars like Candice LeRae and Toni Storm.

The 28-year-old made her in-ring debut for the Jacksonville-based promotion in February 2022. She battled Jade Cargill for the TBS Championship in her debut appearance but ended up on the losing side.

After a brief run in the company, A.Q.A. distanced herself from pro wrestling owing to her physical and mental health issues. While she occasionally posts wrestling training videos on her social media, the former Reality of Wrestling star has yet to feature in a bout since June 2022.

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#1. Paige VanZant quit AEW after a few appearances

Paige VanZant has bagged several accolades in the field of combat sports. Aside from MMA and boxing, VanZant has also tried her hand at pro wrestling in the past.

The popular star made her first AEW appearance in September 2021 and signed with the company in March 2022. VanZant made only a handful of onscreen appearances but managed to catch the attention of fans with her charismatic personality. However, '12 Gauge' disappeared from All Elite Wrestling after a few months, with her last appearance coming in May 2022.

VanZant remained on AEW's roster page till June 2024 before her exit was officially confirmed. The multi-sport athlete seemingly lost interest in the professional wrestling business, prompting her to move on and try other combat sports.