4 unhappy WWE Superstars who could jump ship to AEW
AEW is preparing for its biggest show in history with All In at Wembley Stadium. With over 80,000 tickets reportedly sold, Tony Khan would want to have the most stacked lineup possible. Could that include several WWE Superstars as well?
There have been rumblings that a few current WWE Superstars have been unhappy with their positions on the roster. Either they have not been appropriately booked or left out of the shows entirely.
With AEW becoming another option for wrestlers to go to, could these disgruntled performers be swayed to switch sides? Here are four unhappy WWE Superstars who could realistically jump ship to AEW.
#4. Aliyah has not wrestled in WWE for over a year
Aliyah has not been seen in a WWE ring for nearly a year. Before that, the rising star was starting to gain notable reactions from the SmackDown audience and even won the Women's Tag Team Championship with Raquel Rodriguez.
After dropping the belts to Damage CTRL, she has been completely missing from television due to an injury. Since then, her tag team partner, Raquel, went on to capture back the titles with a new partner in Liv Morgan.
According to a report from Ringside News back in April, Aliyah's name has not been mentioned in creative meetings at all despite no news of her being clear to compete:
"We reached out to follow up on Aliyah’s status months later. She still has not returned to WWE, she isn’t injured, and she is actively posting on social media. We were told that Aliyah’s name is not discussed in WWE creative meetings at all. At this time, nobody knows what her status is, but she’s not being used," reported RSN.
Perhaps WWE is busy with other storylines and wrestlers. Aliyah might feel she no longer has a future with the company. AEW could provide her with the fresh start she needs to get on with her career.
#3. Karrion Kross almost joined AEW before re-signing with WWE
Karrion Kross was one of the superstars who returned after Triple H took over as head of WWE Creative. However, the former NXT Champion has failed to gain momentum since returning to the company the previous fall. There was hope he would be treated as a big star, given that he immediately feuded with Drew McIntyre.
Since then, however, he has been languishing in midcard feuds with Rey Mysterio and, recently, AJ Styles. He appears directionless and has lost all of his initial momentum and goodwill with the audience.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, AEW approached Kross before returning to WWE. However, "the two sides couldn't come to terms for the appearance and decided against it."
Despite the missed opportunity, Kross and All Elite Wrestling appear to still be on good terms, and there's a chance that the two parties could reunite in the future. Given how his WWE run has panned out so far, The Doomwalker could possibly reignite discussions with AEW once more.
#2. Drew McIntyre was apparently unhappy with his position on the WWE roster prior to returning
Drew McIntyre made his shocking return to WWE at Money in the Bank in London. Since then, he challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam but failed in his quest to dethrone The Ring General.
According to a previous report from Fightful Select, the Scottish Warrior has not yet signed a new contract with WWE, despite his comeback. The report stated that McIntyre wanted assurances on "good creative."
But so far, that hasn't been the case. McIntyre feels stale at this point in his career. Despite being a WWE Champion in the past, he hasn't managed to sustain that main event run and desperately needs a refresh.
The Scotsman has so far resisted a heel turn, which could possibly revitalize his character. Perhaps he would want a change of scenery instead, and AEW could offer such an avenue.
With All In taking place in his backyard, McIntyre could be swayed to debut at the show and create history. He would immediately be treated like a top star in a company that's sorely lacking in legitimate main eventers right now.
#1. Sheamus has been legitimately upset with his WWE booking
WWE Superstar Sheamus had a banger of a match this past week on SmackDown in what was hinted to be Edge's last WWE match on his current contract.
The Celtic Warrior proved once again why he is an incredible talent deserving of a bigger spotlight. Sheamus has gone on record to complain about his booking ever since losing to Gunther at Clash at the Castle last year.
In an interview with Daily Star, Sheamus revealed that he was upset that WWE didn't capitalize on his momentum coming out of the event and felt that the creative had nothing for him afterward:
"There were no avenues and nowhere to go, and that's frustrating. I did the War Games thing [after Clash at the Castle], but that was s**t - that's how I felt, though others might have felt differently," he said.
As a veteran at this point in his career, Sheamus is on borrowed time when it comes to solidifying his legacy as a top star. Perhaps All Elite Wrestling could give him that opportunity.
With WWE fumbling the ball on his character, AEW would offer him a fresh start, with new opponents and a different environment. That might just be what Sheamus needs to excel.