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WWE recently announced another series of talent releases, as they typically do yearly. While some former superstars leave the company of their own accord, others fall victim to annual budget cuts.
The most recent slew of cuts caught fans by surprise. Dolph Ziggler, Matt Riddle, and Shelton Benjamin were just a few of the over 20 names let go.
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Fortunately for wrestlers and fans alike, there are several options for former WWE Superstars. IMPACT, NWA, and NJPW are all major promotions willing to give stars life after WWE. With that said, AEW has become the prime destination for former superstars seeking a new home. Since the company was formed, there have been many former WWE Superstars who have taken jobs with AEW.
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Looking at the current AEW roster, fans can easily find familiar faces who have taken their talents to the upstart Jacksonville-based company. Many of those stars have done very well for themselves since becoming "All Elite." Here is our list of five former top WWE Superstars who are currently with AEW.
#5 - 2-time WWE Divas Champion Saraya (Paige)
The fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted with excitement as Saraya made her official AEW debut at the 2022 edition of Dynamite: Grand Slam. Shortly after, she inserted herself into the women's main event picture, and she currently sits atop the roster as the AEW Women's Champion.
Before signing with AEW, Saraya was better known as Paige while she was with WWE. During her decade-plus run with the company, Paige was one of the most successful women's wrestlers of the era. She was the inaugural NXT Women's Champion, as well as a two-time Diva's Champion. It's also worth noting that Paige was a key component in the success of the Women's Revolution.
#4 - Inaugural NXT North American Champion Adam Cole
In 2017, Adam Cole joined the NXT roster, where he became the leader of The Undisputed Era, arguably the greatest NXT faction of all time. Alongside reDRagon and Roderick Strong, Cole held things down on NXT for quite some time.
Adam Cole spent his entire run with the company on the NXT roster. His contract expired in mid-2021, at which time he departed. It was rumored at the time that Cole was on the verge of being sent to the RAW roster as a manager for Keith Lee.
Shortly after his departure, Cole made his surprise AEW debut at the All Out pay-per-view. Adam aligned with his former Bullet Club stablemates, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, as a member of The Elite. Cole is now partnered with MJF as one-half of the ROH Tag Team Champions.
#3 - 3-time WWE Intercontinental Champion Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose)
During his time with WWE, Jon Moxley became a household name under the alias Dean Ambrose. During the 2012 Survivor Series event, Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns exploded onto the main roster as The SHIELD. As a faction, the trio went on to completely decimate everything in their path en route to becoming one of the most dominant WWE stables of all time.
Following the implosion of The SHIELD, each of the three members enjoyed incredibly successful singles runs. Ambrose's contract expired on April 30, 2019. He would reveal on Talk Is Jericho that he was disgruntled with a "stupid" idea Mr. McMahon had for his creative future.
Just a couple of weeks following his departure, Jon Moxley made his AEW debut at the inaugural Double or Nothing pay-per-view, attacking Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega after their main event title match. Since signing with AEW, Moxley has joined forces with Bryan Danielson, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli. Together, they are known as The Blackpool Combat Club.
#2 - 11-time WWE Champion Adam Copeland (Edge)
After nearly three decades with the company, Edge left WWE at the end of September 2023 as his contract expired. This would conclude his Hall of Fame run as one of the all-time greatest superstars.
During his legendary career, Edge gave the fans many great moments en route to becoming an 11-time world champion, as well as a 14-time tag team champion, just to name a couple of his accolades.
AEW's WrestleDream pay-per-view was the site of Edge's debut with the company. He is now working under his real name, Adam Copeland. Just days after the WrestleDream event, Copeland appeared on Dynamite, confronting his former tag team partner Christian Cage in an attempt to reunite.
Christian had other plans, as he had a few choice words for his old friend. As of this writing, Copeland and Christian appear to be headed for a war against one another. Time will tell if we get the tag team reunion that fans eagerly want.
#1 - WWE Grand Slam Champion Chris Jericho
At the top of our list sits a man who has seemingly defeated Father Time as he continues to compete at the highest level despite being 52 years old. Chris Jericho started his career in Canada over 30 years ago. Jericho made his WWF debut in 1999, proclaiming to the world that RAW is Jericho. He enjoyed a Hall of Fame-worthy WWE run before leaving the company in 2018.
Chris Jericho is an AEW original, having signed with the company in early 2019 when AEW officially came onto the scene. Since joining the upstart company, Jericho became the inaugural AEW World Champion and has had several historic moments thus far.
The Ocho has helped elevate a lot of younger talent as well, such as Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia, and numerous others. Jericho is the cornerstone of AEW's meteoric rise, and he should be acknowledged for his efforts.
