6 former WWE stars who have transformed their careers in AEW
The AEW roster has several former members of the WWE. Wrestlers have left WWE for several reasons, some have openly voiced their frustration with the creative process in the Stamford-based company. A few of the big names had creative control over their characters and storylines, but there were many who were at the beginning of their careers and didn't.
Although several superstars ended up leaving the promotion, not all of them saw a drastic change in their fortunes. Here, we look at the top six former WWE stars who transformed their careers in Tony Khan's promotion.
#6. Swerve Strickland is a far cry away from Isaiah "Swerve" Scott
Swerve Strickland is currently one of the hottest names in AEW and in the wrestling world. He has feuded with legends like Sting and established talent like Hangman Adam Page. Swerve has consistently delivered great storytelling and compelling performances during his time with the company and is now looking to be heading for a spot at the top of the card.
Strickland wrestled in WWE as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, who was on the NXT roster from 2019 to 2021. He was also briefly drafted to the SmackDown roster as part of his Hit Row faction prior to his release. The military veteran is a one-time NXT North American Champion but had little else to show in his WWE stint that spanned a total of three years.
With Tony Khan's booking, Swerve has been given a stable of his own in AEW, The Mogul Embassy, who have been a dominant force since their inception. Strickland has also become organically over with the crowd, with Prince Nana, a member of The Mogul Embassy, dancing his way alongside Strickland during his ring entrances. Interestingly, Prince Nana was also in the WWE at one point.
#5. Christian Cage is not comic relief in AEW, nor filler content
Christian Cage was one of the integral members of the Attitude Era. His comedic timing with Edge, now Adam Copeland, is what endeared him to the crowd. The average wrestling fan would say that Cage had nothing left to prove even when he was with WWE, he held every major championship, apart from the one that mattered the most, the WWE Championship.
However, his entire career in the Stamford-based promotion seemed to be tied to Edge, and his championship runs seemed to be an afterthought. It is in AEW that the leader of The Patriarchy stable has really opened up, even without Adam Copeland. Christian, along with his henchmen, have been feuding with the likes of Sting, Darby Allin, Adam Copeland and even Ric Flair. With Adam Copeland now in AEW, the future seems very bright for the former host of The Peep Show.
#4. Sting has had an injury-free run in AEW and added to his legacy
The phrase "has nothing left to prove" seems synonymous with The Icon, however, Sting had an unfortunately short run in the WWE. And even then, he was not able to have the dream match everyone was waiting for, against The Undertaker. The audience was given a tame "against the system" feud, where Sting took out Triple H and then proceeded to have a feud with Seth Rollins. He sustained an injury during his bout with Rollins, and was out of WWE before you knew it.
Sting made his surprise AEW debut in 2020 and has since only added to his legacy. He has teamed with the likes of Darby Allin and feuded with stars like Christian Cage. The Icon recently announced that he is set to retire at Revolution 2024, with Tony Khan already giving him parting gifts, such as a debuting Ric Flair.
Let it be known that Sting would not be on this list if he hadn't had only a handful of matches in WWE. When The Vigilante was with WWE, The Dead Man was wrapping up his final feuds. Even so, both men were on the active roster, and it seems odd that a dream match couldn't have been worked out.
#3. Jon Moxley is not the 'third wheel' in AEW
Many fans would say that The Shield was one of the greatest stables in wrestling history, at least the modern generation. They may also say that while WWE did a good job with Seth "Freakin" Rollins and the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns, it sometimes seemed that they just didn't know what to do with Dean Ambrose, apart from projecting him as a wrestler with a devil-may-care attitude.
And when he joined Tony Khan's company, it seemed like the missing part of the formula had been found. Moxley soon became a mainstay on the roster and every pay-per-view card. Even though he has spent time on the sidelines due to injury, Moxley really has had a seminal effect on AEW programming.
#2. Saraya got her dream moment in AEW
WWE has been going to the UK since the 1980s, with their first UK-specific show being Mayhem in Manchester in 1998. By 2004, WWE had started broadcasting RAW and SmackDown on a taped delay in the UK. However, their UK outings were few. And far between.
Local stars like Saraya (fka Paige) were given a chance to live out a dream moment, and did so by winning the AEW Women's World Championship at Wembley Stadium at All In 2023, surely the proudest moment of her career and a masterstroke by Tony Khan. This was the first time Saraya won a world championship after her WWE Diva's Championship win in 2014.
#1 Toni Storm has become 'Timeless'
This might seem like a trend, but AEW has once again taken someone from the NXT roster and turned them into a superstar in their own right. This time, it's Toni Storm, who was just another addition to the female NXT and SmackDown rosters as well as being a former NXT UK Women's Champion.
AEW completely revamped Storm and has created one of the most memorable characters in modern wrestling. 'Timeless' Toni Storm is reminiscent of the women of the golden age of Hollywood starlets, an era that starts from the 1920s up until the 1960s.
'Timeless' Toni is a class act and is something that seems to have worked incredibly well. She's the reigning AEW Women's World Champion, after defeating Hikaru Shida last weekend at Full Gear 2023.
Are there any other WWE or NXT wrestlers who can have a great career in AEW? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.