5 former WWE stars Tony Khan might never sign to AEW

WWE and AEW continue to swap talent, being two of the leading pro wrestling companies in the US currently. The Jacksonville-based promotion, for instance, brought in Ricochet and The Hurt Syndicate last year (among others), whereas the sports entertainment juggernaut scored big with the recent signings of Penta and Ricky Starks (now going by the moniker Ricky Saints).

Both World Wrestling Entertainment and All Elite Wrestling are likely going to keep an eye out on the other's rosters and make offers to talent from the other brand to expand their rosters as desired. Tony Khan has recruited stars from promotions around the world over the years, though many of his top stars happen to have previously wrestled in the Stamford-based company.

That said, there are a few former WWE names AEW may opt not to sign. Let us look at five such wrestlers.

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#1. Former WWE champion and AEW star Bobby Fish

Bobby Fish was one of the key players who helped in building up WWE NXT at the peak of the brand's black and gold era, alongside his stable-mates, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O'Reilly. The Undisputed Era, sans Strong, would reunite in AEW in 2021 and joined forces with The Elite, albeit briefly. The alliance was shattered by Cole, Fish, and O'Reilly after they attacked The Young Bucks, but the feud unfortunately led nowhere, and Fish would later part ways with All Elite Wrestling in 2022.

Despite wrestling stars like Sammy Guevara, Jack Perry, and CM Punk and challenging for the AEW World Tag Team Titles with his reDRagon partner Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish's services were ultimately not retained by Tony Khan. The former WWE Superstar stated in interviews later that the two sides were unable to agree on a deal financially, insinuating that he had felt undervalued by the promotion. Fish went on to have a brief stint in TNA, and is currently competing for MLW and other indie companies.

His former teammates, including Roderick Strong, are continuing in AEW as The Undisputed Kingdom. Fish has reportedly signed a contract with MLW, and considering his past negotiations with All Elite Wrestling, it is unlikely that the latter company will make him an offer anytime soon.

#2: Former WWE Superstar Enzo Amore

Enzo Amore and Big Cass were one of WWE's most entertaining tag teams. The duo had managed to connect with the fans with their dynamic personalities and were featured regularly on the company's television programming. However, Amore was terminated by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2018 for not informing the promotion about being investigated over sexual assault allegations - an investigation that was ceased a few months later.

Amore later showed up and disrupted the show at Survivor Series 2018, and was escorted out of the venue as a result. He has been sporadically competing in the indies since 2019, whereas his former partner, now going by Big Bill, is emerging as one of AEW's most promising big man athletes. Amore had previously accompanied and teamed with The Redwood on the independent circuit after their WWE exits in 2019 and 2022.

Amore, wrestling as Real1, recently reunited with Big Bill, and joined The Learning Tree in a three-way tag match earlier this month on the Jericho Cruise. While some think this could lead to AEW signing the 38-year-old, such an acquisition is unlikely when one considers Amore's past issues, including those involving former All Elite talent.

#3: Former US Champion Matt Riddle

In spite of his excellent in-ring and combat sports credentials, Matt Riddle's tenure in WWE was often mired in controversy owing to the star's alleged conduct outside the ring and backstage. Regardless, The King of Bros managed to find success in the company, holding both the NXT and RAW Tag Titles, and the United States Championship on one occasion. His acclaimed team-up with Randy Orton as RK-Bro was a highlight of RAW programming between 2021 and 2022.

Riddle was released by WWE in 2023, on the heels of another controversial incident at JFK Airport in September. He has since returned to the independent scene and has wrestled in numerous promotions over the past months, including MLW, NJPW, TNA, AAA, and more. The grappler voiced interest in joining AEW in an interview last year. However, a subsequent report clarified that Tony Khan had not shown any corresponding interest in bringing in The Original Bro.

While a star like Riddle would be a very natural fit for AEW, his history of problematic behavior could preclude him from being offered a contract.

#4: Former WWE Champion Raj Dhesi (fka Jinder Mahal)

It was just around a year ago when Tony Khan and Jinder Mahal made headlines after the All Elite Creative Head called out WWE for giving The Modern Day Maharaja a World Heavyweight Title shot despite his win/loss record at the time. The former WWE Champion was not booked to win the belt, of course, and was released by the Stamford-based company months later.

Speculations arose afterward of Mahal potentially signing with All Elite Wrestling, especially following his indie comeback under the ring name Raj Dhesi. The rumors received a boost when The Maharaja teamed up with AEW personality Satnam Singh at AAA, and then spoke about his openness to joining the promotion in a later interview.

Recently, however, Dhesi revealed that nobody from AEW had officially reached out to him with an offer. Considering how stacked the company's roster already happens to be, it is unlikely that All Elite Wrestling will ink a deal with the 38-year-old star.

#5: Former WWE CEO Shane McMahon

Around mid-2024, rumors began to float online, speculating about Shane McMahon's prospective appearance in AEW. The conjecture exploded after a photograph leaked in July of a private meeting between Tony Khan and Shane-O-Mac in Arlington, Texas, in which the duo discussed their "shared love for the business and the rewards and challenges of working with family."

McMahon had run into TBS Champion Mercedes Mone earlier that month and would appear in a picture with The Young Bucks later on in September. Roughly around the same time, fans began to speculate that The Prodigal Son could be the guiding force directing the carnage of Jon Moxley and The Death Riders, although that has not turned out to be the case.

It seems like TK's conversation with McMahon has not yet translated into an agreement over the latter working for All Elite Wrestling - and seeing how Shane will likely be forever bound to his legacy and past in WWE due to his family name, he is most probably not going to be All Elite anytime soon.