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Many WWE Superstars have jumped ship to AEW over the years. The likes of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson made the move, hoping to take the next step in their careers and elevate themselves to new heights.
Although Cole and Danielson left the company relatively unscathed, some other popular stars have fallen victim to a classic WWE burial. Many talents who Vince McMahon did not see as worth investing in have suffered career burials which seemed fatal at the time. Moving to the competition may have been the best option for these performers to ensure that they get the push they deserve.
Here are five current AEW stars that Vince McMahon buried.
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#5. Jon Moxley hated much of his time in WWE
Today, Jon Moxley is widely recognized as one of the best wrestlers in the world. However, during the latter stages of his time in WWE as Dean Ambrose, he had to face some poor booking decisions.
One of Moxley's final programs in the Stamford promotion involved him turning on his former Shield stablemate Seth Rollins. While the turn itself had a lot of promise, what followed was dreadful. The Lunatic Fringe's entire heel shtick essentially boiled down to him berating fans for their stench and even wearing gasmasks in an attempt to get the gimmick over.
It's safe to say that fans were not buying it and Moxley finished his WWE tenure with no heat and momentum — worlds away from what he would accomplish under Tony Khan's umbrella.
#4. Toni Storm was creatively frustrated
During her time in NXT and NXT UK, Toni Storm showed incredible potential and became one of the most popular stars on the developmental brands. However, after her main roster call-up in July 2021, Storm's momentum quickly halted.
Although she did eventually get a title program with Charlotte Flair, Toni came out of the feud looking worse than when she went in. Storm will mostly be remembered by SmackDown fans for the angle in which she had a pie thrown in her face. She would leave the company soon after and head for greener pastures.
#3. Jeff Hardy felt underutilized
At his peak, Jeff Hardy was one of the most popular stars in the world. His charismatic demeanor and daredevil antics made him beloved by fans around the world. But during the tail-end of his time in Vince McMahon's promotion, Hardy was treated as enhancement talent.
Towards the end of his time in WWE, Hardy put over rising stars like Austin Theory and Damian Priest. He could also be seen chasing the 24/7 Championship, which fans were less than thrilled about. The Charismatic Enigma ended his time in WWE by playing a supporting role in Drew McIntyre's feud with Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss. This proved to be the final nail in the coffin as Hardy would eventually walk out during a house show, marking his final appearance for the promotion.
#2. FTR was constantly mistreated
FTR is genuinely one of the best tag teams in the world, and they have been for quite some time now. Before they were the hugely popular act in AEW, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler had an up-and-down spell in WWE.
Although the team which was then known as The Revival, won tag team gold in Vince McMahon's empire, they were constantly knocked down and prevented from getting over. The most glaring examples of this are their burial at the RAW 25 show by the hands of D-Generation X, and their nonsensical "comedy" feud with The Usos towards the end of their time in the company. The "Ucey Hot" segment sealed their fate in WWE and indicated that they were never going to be taken seriously on the main roster.
#1. Vince refused to put Sting over
The Icon Sting is a legend in the wrestling business. Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in the industry, he only had a brief run in the world's largest promotion. After being one of the pillars of WCW, fans were desperate to see Sting in WWE and they eventually got their wish — albeit, probably not as they would have wanted.
Sting lost both of his premium live event bouts in the company, including his debut against Triple H at WrestleMania 31. Even when it seemed like an obvious decision, Vince McMahon didn't let a WCW guy get one over on his WWE stalwarts.
