5 Former WWE stars AEW has already signed, and 5 more who could follow

After a slew of recent releases from WWE, there are a handful of exceptional talents that AEW could sign. AEW has come under fire for picking up ex-WWE wrestlers, however there are still a few big names fans want to see.

Let's see what AEW has done and could potentially do with these 10 wrestlers:

5. AEW signed Chris Jericho in 2019

If we hadn't begun with AEW's, Chris Jericho, we'd have ended up on his list. Jericho is the inaugural AEW World Champion and leader of the Inner Circle.

So far he has had memorable feuds and is shining in the twilight of his career. Jericho is one of the only active wrestlers that can be considered a legend of the business.

His recent feud with MJF and the Labors of Jericho stirred up the wrestling community. Jericho has been an incredible asset to AEW, and fans are excited to see even more of what he can bring to the promotion in the future.

Jericho has had an illustrious career. He has won countless championships in both WCW and WWE. Getting Jericho to sign with AEW is still one of their greatest achievements. His next title reign is hopefully around the corner and we hope to keep hearing fans sing "Judas" for years to come.

5. AEW could sign Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda)

With AEW Full-Gear being mere days away, the hype for Wyatt to sign with AEW is reaching unprecedented levels. Windham Rotunda (Wyatt's real name) has used much of his time to jot cryptic messages all over social media.

Without any public appearances, he may be unrecognizable when he shows up. His new appearance will almost certainly have the level of mystery to continue thrilling fans. Windham is a creative wrestler and will surprise us regardless of how he ends up debuting.

Rotunda is definitely one of the most anticipated AEW signings. Him joining the AEW locker room will result in numerous dream matches. Rotunda has proven to be able to go toe-to-toe with nearly any wrestler.

4. AEW signed Matt Hardy in 2020

Matt Hardy debuted at AEW after having a disappointing run in the WWE. Since then he has revitalized himself at AEW. Although Hardy has not made any real attempts to challenge for gold again, he has had a massive influence on the young wrestlers at the promotion.

Hardy initially became famous during the early 2000s, alongside his brother Jeff as The Hardy Boyz. Since then he's gone on to have a successful singles career.

Hardy is currently running with his "Big Money Matt" gimmick, one that sees him run away from fights with a posse of wrestlers at his command. Hopefully, we get to see Hardy do something really interesting at AEW soon.

Ideally, many fans would love one last Tag-Team Hardy Boyz run. But that will only happen if the other half of the iconic tag team makes his way to AEW.

4. AEW could sign Braun Strowman (Adam Scherr)

Braun Strowman (Adam Scherr) had an interesting run in WWE. First being the final member of the Wyatt family and then ultimately having a monster singles run. His time at the company coming to a halt so abruptly was a surprise to many wrestling fans.

During 2018, Scherr picked up quite a number of titles and accolades. He would eventually pick up the WWE Universal title, which was the highlight of his WWE run. Scherr won over the fans and was due for so much more.

Unfortunately, Scherr's run fizzled out and he was released on June 2, 2021. Ever since, wrestling fans around the world have been buzzing to predict where he will end up. Scherr has posted a few cryptic tweets and is clearly in the best shape of his life.

In AEW, Scherr would have some creative freedom and could make for some interesting feuds. Most wrestlers in AEW are smaller in size, so Scherr could help add some more diversity. With a monster like him, guys like Miro and Lance Archer could have some real competition.

3. AEW signed Miro (Rusev) in 2020.

Going by the name Rusev in WWE before signing with AEW as Miro, the Bulgarian wrestler had quite the hot and cold run. Rusev never quite made it past the midcard, and despite having his moments didn't reach his full potential.

His brutal wrestling style was noticeably good. Other than that his character was stale, even after a drastic appearance change.

After an out-of-left-field love triangle feud involving his real-life wife Lana, Rusev was released from WWE. Few fans knew what would be next for him.

Fast forward to September 9th, 2020. Miro debuted on AEW with a new look and a refreshed persona. Miro would dominate the roster for months. Eventually culminating in a win against Darby Allin for the TNT championship.

Soon after Miro would become the Redeemer, a diabolical persona that encorporated religion into his wrestling. After a period of being undefeated, Miro would finally see his first singles loss against Sammy Guevarra.

Following losing the TNT championship to Guevarra, Miro took some time away. It wasn't until he was recently given Jon Moxley's spot in the AEW World Championship tournament that he made his return. His next match will be the finals of the tournament, where he'll face The American Dragon, Bryan Danielson at AEW Full-Gear.

3. AEW could sign Keith Lee

Saying Keith Lee was a fan favorite in NXT would be an understatement. Lee came at a time just as the next top stars were transitioning over to the main roster.

His wrestling persona stood out the most, but his grit and determination ended up being what fans loved.

Lee was the only wrestler to hold both the NXT Men's Championship as well as the NXT North American Championship. Lee unseated both Undisputed Era members, Adam Cole and Roderick Strong to end up holding both titles.

Lee vacated the North American Championship, before eventually losing his NXT title to Karrion Kross. After this, Lee would be called up to the main roster.

His time on the main roster was lacking, apparently not being exactly what Vince McMahon wanted in his wrestlers. Eventually Lee would be released after a gimmick change.

Lee's time in NXT granted him with quite a fan following, and as such he'd make a great inclusion to AEW. AEW is filled with villains and could use an underdog with the fans behind him.

2. AEW signed Ruby Soho (Riott)

Ruby Riott had a decent run while in NXT. Although she held no championships, she quickly became a fan favorite due to her appearance as a rebel and outcast. .

Her wrestling style is very rough and fast paced and she can be considered one of the best female wrestlers out there. Whether or not she continues to prove that remains to be seen.

Riott was called up to the main roster in November 2017. She teamed up with Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan. Together they formed a heel tag team known as the Riott Squad. Her main roster run never quite reached the heights of her stint on NXT.

On June 2nd, 2021 Riott was released from WWE. Three months later, she went on to debut at AEW as Ruby Soho, the "Joker" entrant in the Women's Casino Battle Royale. Soho would even win the match, beginning a brief feud between her and Britt Baker, the current AEW Women's Champion.

Despite failing to defeat Baker, Soho has shown herself to be resilient and is currently in the TBS Championship Tournament. Soho will be facing Kris Statlander in her next tournament matchup, where Soho has a chance to show what she's made of.

2. AEW could sign Ember Moon

Adrienne Palmer (Ember Moon) would be an excellent pick for AEW. Palmer had a six-year tenure with WWE before being released on November 4th. Palmer had a successful run on NXT, picking up the NXT Women's Championship and NXT Women's Tag titles during her time on the brand.

Palmer would eventually be called up to the main roster on April 9th 2018. She had a lackluster run with amplified injuries that sidelined her for months.

Palmer clearly has the skill, but never had the chance to truly prove herself. Very few female wrestlers manage to pull off her feats of strength and highflying while still looking good.

At AEW, Palmer could debut under her Independent Circuit name, Athena. She has the skill to go toe-to-toe with the best of the female roster at AEW.

1. AEW signed CM Punk

There's not much that can be said about CM Punk's debut in AEW that hasn't been said already. He's the one wrestler fans were dreaming would come back to wrestling, and one of the last few we thought ever would. A year ago, nobody would have believed you if you told them CM Punk would be wrestling again.

Punk initially debuted on the WWE-owned ECW. He began with a winning streak, much like he currently has on AEW. Here Punk introduced us to the GTS (Go-To-Sleep) and had numerous memorable matches.

Before retiring from wrestling in 2014, Punk won multiple championships and accolades in WWE. He is also known for his promos. The ''Pipe Bomb'' was apparently scriptless, and is seen as one of the most significant moments from his time at WWE.

On June 20th, the unthinkable happened, CM Punk came out of retirement and debuted at AEW. Since then he's had a feud with Darby Allin and most recently with Eddie Kingston.

Punk will face Kingston at AEW Full-Gear. We can only imagine what's in store for the Straight Edge wrestler at AEW.

1. AEW could sign Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux

Karrion Kross was one of the most promising wrestlers WWE has had in recent memory. Kross has the physique, the look, and in ring ability that Vince McMahon adores. Regardless, Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux (his real-life fiancee), were shockingly released.

Kross is a master of catch wrestling and sambo, styles that include different variations of suplexes. A hands-on style and aggressiveness that could fit perfectly in AEW. Wrestlers like PAC or Kenny Omega would be perfect for vicious feuds with Kross.

Of course, Kross's gimmick would not be complete without Bordeaux. A wrestler in her own right, but one of the best managers seen on screen. Kross and Bordeaux are a team reminiscent of Attitude Era teams, and would translate well into AEW.

Do you agree with this list? Are there any wrestlers I left out that you'd love to see in AEW? Or any other ex-WWE wrestlers in AEW that you think deserved a spotlight? Let me know in the comments below!