5 Stars who have appeared for WWE and AEW this year

With AEW's creation to combat WWE in 2019, one fun pastime has been watching the movement between the two companies. Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley were two of the first huge names to appear in AEW after strong careers in WWE.

The mass roster cuts of 2020 and 2021 provided All Elite Wrestling with many new stars, including Keith Lee, Swerve Strickland, Ruby Soho, and others. The migration also went the other way as Cody Rhodes made the biggest move when he left AEW for WWE.

While those moves didn't necessarily happen in the same calendar year, 2023 has seen stars appear for both promotions. The below five performers have worked for both WWE and AEW this year.

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#5. Rob Van Dam has worked in and out of the ring

Rob Van Dam has kept himself in great shape throughout his career. He may not wrestle at the level he did in his prime, but he is still capable of pulling off his athletic kicks, aerial moves, and Five-Star Frog Splash.

While he did not wrestle for WWE, he was among the many Legends/former stars who announced picks during the 2023 WWE Draft this spring.

He did suit up for AEW, facing Jack Perry for the FTW Championship on Dynamite on August 8. RVD has tagged with Hook on a few occasions, including on the most recent episode of Dynamite against the Dark Order.

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#4. Brian Pillman Jr. was reborn in NXT as Lexis King

The man has a new name in his new home of NXT.

One of the more baffling departures from AEW was Brian Pillman Jr. With the famous name and obvious athleticism, it looked like Pillman could one day become a top star in the company.

It wasn't to be, as he was primarily relegated to undercard tag team matches. He finished his AEW career tagging with Brock Anderson on AEW Dark. His last television appearance was a losing effort on Rampage against Swerve Strickland on February 1.

His NXT career began with vignettes in early October. His face was finally revealed two weeks before Halloween Havoc. Pillman Jr.'s official in-ring debut occurred on Night 1 of the two-week event on October 24.

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#3. WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair never strays from the spotlight

Few performers are as infamous in wrestling history as Ric Flair. He is regarded by many to be the greatest of all time. His official in-ring retirement from WWE took place in 2008, but he continued wrestling for IMPACT Wrestling after leaving.

He even competed in "Ric Flair's Last Match" earlier this year. While he didn't suit up for a match, The Nature Boy did appear at the 30th Anniversary of RAW to introduce his daughter, Charlotte Flair.

Ric then appeared on the most recent episode of AEW Dynamite as Tony Khan's gift to Sting. He didn't commit to wrestling despite being challenged to a six-man match by Christian Cage.

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#2. Jade Cargill recently made a huge impact

Jade Cargill appeared in the arena for Becky Lynch's title match with Lyra Valkyria.

The last month has seen a lot of movement between WWE and AEW. Jade Cargill was one of AEW's biggest female stars, having an undefeated Goldberg-like streak. She was the company's first TBS Champion but lost it to Kris Statlander earlier this year.

Her last match was another losing effort to Statlander on the September 13 episode of Rampage. She hugged the Champion after the match, signaling a departure from the company.

Cargill's inevitable journey to WWE was all over the news until she officially signed with the company. She began appearing in backstage segments with officials like Adam Pearce and potential future opponents.

Her first in-arena appearance for the company was on Night 1 of Halloween Havoc for the main event title match between Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria.

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#1. Edge wanted a specific end to his career

Edge's has had a historic wrestling career.

As outrageous as Cargill's move was, Edge's was just as shocking. He made his mark in WWE, becoming one of the most beloved stars of the last thirty years. His premature retirement in 2011 was bittersweet, but that all changed when he returned at the 2020 Royal Rumble.

In his last match in WWE, he faced Sheamus on August 18 on SmackDown in his hometown of Toronto. Some thought he was officially finished with in-ring competition, but instead, he wanted to end his career a certain way.

The Rated-R Superstar made his AEW debut in September at the end of the WrestleDream show in Seattle. His first bout for AEW was against Luchasaurus on Dynamite on October 10. Edge has stated he wanted one last run with Christian before he retires.