5 Superstars who wrestled for WWE and AEW in 2021
In recent years, WWE has found competition in the form of AEW. The new promotion has worked hard to bring in some top names and develop major storylines to pull wrestling fans.
2021 saw several WWE Superstars released by the company. Most were let go due to budget restraints, while some asked to be released. Many of those who left WWE in 2021 ended up bagging an AEW contract, allowing them to compete in both promotions in the same year.
Andrade and Malakai Black were released in 2021 but did not compete for WWE during the year. With that being said, here are five wrestlers who wrestled for WWE and AEW in 2021.
#5. Ruby Soho left WWE in June and joined AEW in September 2021
AEW star Ruby Soho kicked off her year as part of the WWE roster. She teamed up with Liv Morgan to defeat Natalya and Tamina in a tag team match on the first episode of WWE SmackDown of the year.
Ruby and Liv teamed up against the same pairing at WrestleMania 37. However, Ruby was released from WWE in June 2021 just when her partnership with Liv Morgan was shaping up well again.
After posting several teasers on social media, Ruby made her AEW debut in September as the surprise Joker entrant in the women's Casino Battle Royale match at All Out in Chicago. She won the Casino Battle Royale, earning a future shot at the AEW Women's World Championship.
Inside The Ropes spoke to Ruby about her decision to join AEW. According to Ruby, she'd heard good things about AEW and was ready to make the move:
"I always had a good feeling (about AEW). A lot of my friends worked in AEW and they’ve always said wonderful things. To be honest, I’m waiting for something to go wrong, because it’s too good to be true...It’s so rad and so much fun. I love coming to work...they always had good things to say about it. I’ve always been a fan of the product, but the moment it was for sure 'this is where I’m meant to be' was All Out, when I debuted and I came out to the amazing reception in Chicago. It was after that where I was like 'this is where I’m meant to be. This is home for me for sure.'"
Ruby’s WWE career did not turn out to be as successful as many would have liked it to be. However, she’s made a good start to her AEW career, and she could go on to become the AEW Women’s Champion sooner rather than later.