AEW has been proving itself as a strong alternative to WWE in the past five years. Stars who couldn't thrive in the global sports entertainment juggernaut used to sit backstage and wait for an opportunity. However, not everyone got the chance to prove themselves despite waiting in line to be pushed.
Since AEW was established, stars have confidently left the Stamford-based promotion, as the competition brand has been home to many former WWE stars. A few names that became superstars after arriving in AEW are Swerve Strickland, Ricochet, Toni Storm, PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Shelton Benjamin.
WWE has been signing top stars left and right in the past few months. With WWE expanding its roster, it is hard for every star to get the spotlight. Let's take a look at some of the stars who should switch from WWE to AEW.
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#5. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter
Katana and Kayden always brought energy to the squared circle. Both stars work well together, but it seems that WWE doesn't trust them. The duo have been losing matches for a long time. They were last featured on TV as a tag team in November 2024.
They held the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in 2023 just for a month. AEW desperately needs to improve its tag team division. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter would be able to revive their careers as well if the duo performed well in the Jacksonville-based promotion.
#4. Carlito
Carlito has been part of Judgement Day for a long time now. The veteran was WWE's top heel during the first run. He has huge potential to become a massive heel, but WWE never capitalized on this and didn't push the experienced heel.
Similar to Ricochet, Carlito can become a huge star in AEW if proper storylines are given. He could also bring back the apple gimmick in the Jacksonville-based promotion, as it was popular last year.
#3. Grayson Waller Effect in AEW
The 34-year-old star was one of the top rising prospects in WWE's NXT brand. His character was a huge act in the company. When the star made his debut on WWE's main roster, many believed he might immediately be pushed to the main event scene.
However, Grayson is currently paired with Austin Theory, one of Vince McMahon's failed projects. The star still has a lot of charisma, which AEW can use. He also has a vast set of skills, which would help him put on great matches in Jacksonville-based promotion.
#2. Dakota Kai
Dakota Kai has been one of the most popular females on the WWE roster. She has been the talk of the town every now and then, as fans adore her. However, the New Zealand star hasn't been given a proper opportunity to build herself. Despite her experience, she has never been involved in main stories.
WWE recently had the chance to pull the trigger on her push by giving her the Women's Intercontinental Championship but didn't. Dakota Kai would flourish as a singles star and even more as a champion in AEW.
#1. Shinsuke Nakamura
The former United States Champion was the main eventer in NJPW. After he signed with WWE, NXT booked him in the same manner. However, he hasn't done anything significant since arriving on the main roster. He held the United States Championship for a couple of months in his recent reign but wasn't booked well.
To reignite Shinsuke Nakamura's fire, he must jump to the Jacksonville-based promotion. Stars like Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, and Konosuke Takeshita could easily bring back the momentum he had in NJPW.
It will be interesting to see if these stars ever go to the Tony Khan-led promotion after leaving WWE.
