The next Brock Lesnar, legendary 9-time WWE champion? 5 former WWE Superstars AEW could still sign before the end of 2024
The year 2024 has been fruitful for AEW when it comes to building a strong roster. The last eight months have seen Tony Khan strike a deal with many prominent international stars. From Kazuchika Okada to Mercedes Mone, several mainstream stars chose to sign with All Elite Wrestling this year, despite garnering interest from WWE.
Tony Khan is an extremely competitive individual, who remains greatly active in the free agent market. As the head booker of AEW, Khan prioritizes signing quality talents that could help the company compete with the Stamford-based promotion.
Interestingly, there are several massive ex-WWE names currently available in the free-agent market that could end up in All Elite Wrestling by the end of 2024.
Here's a look at five former WWE Superstars who could be signed by AEW in the next four months:
#5. Xia Li joins a budding AEW women's division
Xia Li suffered from inconsistent booking in WWE. While the creative team did come up with different characters for Li, she could not establish herself as a major star on the main roster. The Chinese star was released from WWE in April 2024 and has yet to sign a deal with a prominent wrestling promotion.
Tony Khan has done an incredible job building the AEW women's roster in the last two years. A division that was once struggling to get over is now one of the best parts of AEW programming. Newly signed talents like Mercedes Mone, Toni Storm, and Mariah May have helped the women's roster improve to a great extent.
The head booker of All Elite Wrestling could further strengthen the company's women's division by bringing in Xia Li. Known for her hard-hitting in-ring skills, the 36-year-old could emerge as a fan favorite among the AEW audience. If given proper opportunities, Li could revitalize her career in the Tony Khan-led company, similar to the reigning AEW Women's World Champion Toni Storm.
#4. Gable Steveson becomes the next AEW sensation
Gable Steveson was earmarked for massive things in WWE. After capturing the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, the 24-year-old star garnered interest from the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. He soon signed a NIL deal with WWE in September 2021.
Considering his impressive record in freestyle wrestling, Steveson drew comparisons with legendary WWE stars like Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. Despite getting public endorsements from several WWE legends, the young star failed to live up to the hype.
Gable Steveson also had a brief NXT run in 2023, where he failed to make any impact. The Olympic gold medalist was far from a finished pro wrestling product, which made it difficult for him to hang with other seasoned superstars. The audience was very vocal about their dislike for Steveson, as they booed the 24-year-old star every time he stepped foot in the ring.
After investing a lot of time in Steveson, WWE officially released the gifted athlete in May 2024. Now that he is a free agent, the Olympic gold medalist could head to AEW to revive his pro wrestling career.
While Tony Khan could also target Brock Lesnar himself, it wouldn't be a bad option if he chooses to sign Gable Steveson instead. Although Lesnar's WWE status is up in the air, it is unlikely that The Beast Incarnate would ever become All Elite.
Gable Steveson would be given enough time to grow in the Jacksonville-based promotion, without any pressure on his shoulders. The former NXT star could bring some variety to the AEW roster, possibly emerging as the next Beast Incarnate.
#3. Jinder Mahal signs with AEW
Jinder Mahal officially parted ways with WWE earlier this year. The Modern Day Maharaja had a strong start to 2024, as he featured in a promo segment with The Rock. A few days later, Mahal delivered a great performance against the then World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins.
The former WWE Champion was upset with the promotion for not giving The Indus Sher enough opportunities, which eventually led to his release from the company. While Mahal is now back on the free agent market, he has yet to make an appearance in a mainstream wrestling promotion.
Although he did have an online tussle with Mahal in January, Tony Khan might consider signing The Modern Day Maharaja soon.
If they can keep their past issues aside, Jinder Mahal could prove to be a valuable addition to the Jacksonville-based company. The former United States Champion enjoys a significant fan following in India, which could greatly benefit AEW in establishing itself in the South Asian market. Moreover, The Indus Sher trio could breathe new life into AEW’s tag team division, which is struggling for relevance at the moment.
#2. Ricochet seems to be on his way to the Tony Khan-led company
Ricochet is arguably the hottest free agent in the pro wrestling industry at the moment. Following the end of his WWE deal in June 2024, the former Prince Puma is expected to end up in AEW soon.
After years of underutilization in WWE, Ricochet would be eager to stage a turnaround in his wrestling career. The Future of Flight will thrive working under a booker like Tony Khan, who is very fond of breathtaking high flyers like him. Unless something drastic happens, Khan is likely to secure the services of the Highlight of The Night.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion could make an appearance at All In 2024, where he could compete in the recently announced Casino Gauntlet Match. Debuting in front of a hot Wembley crowd would be the best way for Ricochet to arrive in AEW. If he manages to win the high-stakes contest, the former RAW Superstar will secure himself a guaranteed World Title shot in his debut appearance.
#1. Becky Lynch shocks the world by joining All Elite Wrestling
Becky Lynch is among the most decorated stars of the modern era of WWE. Aside from her incredible accomplishments, The Man is a highly popular individual who has emerged as a massive ratings draw for the Stamford-based promotion. She is a nine-time WWE champion (five-time Women's World Champion, two-time RAW Women's Champion, one-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, and one-time NXT Women's Champion).
Big Time Becks last appeared on WWE television in May 2024, when she failed to recapture her Women's World Championship against Liv Morgan. It was soon reported in June that Lynch's WWE deal had expired, and she was set to take a hiatus from in-ring competition. It has been over two months since her last appearance, and there is still no confirmation on where The Man will end up next.
The Irish Lasskicker recently posted a celebratory post on her Instagram, possibly signaling that she was done with WWE for the near future. If The Man is interested in testing her limits in other promotions, AEW could end up being her next destination. Tony Khan would be eager to add another decorated female wrestler to his roster, having previously acquired Mercedes Mone in 2024.
Several names in the Jacksonville-based promotion would rejoice about working with a legend like Becky Lynch. The Irish star would bring a lot of eyeballs to AEW's product, helping them improve on the ratings front.