4 current and former WWE Superstars who flirted with a move to AEW but didn't join
AEW and WWE are two of the leading pro wrestling promotions operating in the US currently. Over the years, both companies have seen talent go to the other promotion from their respective rosters, with CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Jade Cargill signing with the sports entertainment juggernaut on the one hand and the likes of Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, Adam Copeland, and Ricochet joining the Tony Khan-led promotion on the other.
However, there are also quite a few stars, formerly and currently employed by WWE, who seemed to be AEW bound at some point but never ended up going All Elite in an official capacity. Let us consider four such names.
#1: Former WWE Champion Randy Orton
Randy Orton has been a part of WWE since pretty much the start of his wrestling career. Naturally, the very idea of The Viper exiting the Stamford-based promotion has been regarded by fans as an impossibility. However, Orton himself surprisingly teased the likelihood five years ago, when he posted a photograph of himself from Jacksonville, Florida, in front of a sign labeled "Elite Level."
The post, its caption, and the individuals tagged in it (including inaugural AEW World Champion Chris Jericho and former EVP Cody Rhodes) led many to assume that Orton was hinting at a potential jump to All Elite Wrestling, which was incidentally founded that very year in 2019. Ultimately, however, The Apex Predator resumed his career in WWE, where he is a top star to this day.
#2: Former WWE Superstar Donovan Dijak
Despite his impressive blend of size, agility, and athleticism, Dijak's WWE run was arguably somewhat underwhelming, especially towards the end. After being released by the promotion earlier this year, Donovan Dijak has returned to compete in the independent scene. Interestingly, the 37-year-old star was present backstage at AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door 2024, and in a later interview claimed that Tony Khan was "aware of [his] interest," presumably in appearing on All Elite Wrestling programming.
However, despite months having passed since he made the aforementioned comments, Dijak has yet to wrestle in an All Elite ring. The Disruptor was seen in action earlier this month on October 12 at a Ryse Wrestling event in Pennsylvania, USA, the same day as AEW WrestleDream 2024. He has also been competing in companies like MLW, HOG, and Rev-Pro.
#3 and #4: Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin - The Motor City Machine Guns
Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are hailed by many as one of the greatest tag teams in pro wrestling history, known for their star-making work across promotions such as ROH, NJPW, and TNA. After their deal with the Nashville-based company expired earlier this year, speculations surrounding the future of The Motor City Machine Guns began to circulate.
After reports emerged in April claiming that Shelley and Sabin were "finalizing" a deal with AEW, several fans expected the duo to show up in the promotion, especially considering that they had already wrestled for the company at All Out 2022, and the praise their performance had received from Tony Khan.
However, later reports contradicted the previous rumors and suggested that MCMG was actually headed to the Triple H-led company. This was confirmed on the October 18, 2024, episode of Friday Night Smackdown, when Shelley and Sabin made their debut and defeated A-Town Down Under and Los Garza to advance one step closer to the WWE tag team titles.