#2 Kris Statlander - Had an appearance in WWE half a year before signing with AEW
For the last two years, Kris Statlander has been one of AEW's mainstays in the Women's Division. While the company is still in the process of building the women's division, Statlander will continue to be one of the main stars.
Kris Statlander's wrestling career only began five years ago. Half a year before her AEW debut, she teamed up with Karissa Rivera in a team known as "The Brooklyn Belles" to face The IIconics. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay were coming off their WWE Women's Tag Team title win at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
The match lasted under a few minutes, and Statlander and Rivera lost to the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions in a squash match. She was in the running to become AEW Women's Champion early into her signing with the promotion. However, she fell short.
Statlander had to take a nine-month-hiatus before she eventually returned. She later challenged Britt Baker for the AEW Women's title at All Out but failed to capture the gold once again.
Looking back, perhaps the one-off enhancement talent appearance in WWE helped others take notice of her. AEW seems to be a much better fit for Statlander.