Grading Former WWE Stars' Stints in AEW so Far

Professional wrestling has never been about just one company, but WWE has worked hard to dominate the market. For this reason, many of the best wrestlers in the world can feel stuck waiting for opportunities on a bloated roster of hoarded talent.

All Elite Wrestling stepped in to become some measure of an alternative for some of the biggest names in the business, and some took the leap. Wrestlers who could not find the right spotlight in WWE found a fresh opportunity with AEW.

While some big names like Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho have thrived, others have fallen below expectation, like Shawn Spears and Jake Hager. However, their legacies are far from set yet.

Many of the top veterans in WWE have decided to make the jump, including Christian Cage, Sting and Matt Hardy. Their legacies have been so established through WWE that it can be tough to decide whether they are in the best place now.

Still, it is exciting to see all of these performers in a fresh spot where they can grow and evolve. It feels like a tough ask to grade the impact of these wrestlers moving to AEW over the company's first two years, but it is interesting to ponder, especially with more wrestlers likely to consider the move in the coming years.

Jon Moxley

WWE valued Dean Ambrose highly, but the company rarely saw him as the brand-defining star he has become. Moxley is the biggest star in AEW. He already feels like he has left WWE completely behind.

A former AEW world champion and current IWGP United States champion, Moxley has been unleashed upon the world. Every company is itching for a chance to work with him. He and his wife. Renee Paquette, have also had a chance to settle down without WWE's hectic schedule and have their first child.

Cody Rhodes

Cody left WWE in 2016 with a dream of becoming something more. He did just that in helping to form AEW. While The American Nightmare has had his ups and downs so far in AEW, there is absolutely no doubt he made the right decision for himself and AEW.

He is one of the company's executive vice presidents while managing his own wrestling school to help build new talent. He is the most recognizable face of AEW, branching out beyond just wrestling to promote the product.

His wife, Brandi Rhodes, worked for WWE for a while as well, and she has truly grown since departing. Both Cody and Brandi can feel overused at times in AEW. However, their impact is felt far beyond the product.

Chris Jericho

Was there a bigger announcement AEW could have made when the company first debuted than the arrival of Y2J? Jericho is a legend, one of the best of all time. He has shaped AEW in many ways, especially his work forming and building The Inner Circle.

Jericho may not be able to wrestle at the level he once did in WWE, but that was inevitable. He still plays so many important roles for AEW from manager of young talent to big-match wrestler to commentator on occasion.

Mr. Brodie Lee

Luke Harper was released from his contract in December of 2019 to the shock of many. When he arrived in AEW as Brodie Lee, he instantly felt like a bigger star than he ever had before, taking the role of The Exalted One of the Dark Order. He reshaped a group struggling to get by.

He pushed Jon Moxley to his limit for the AEW World Championship. He won the TNT Championship in one of the most memorable squash matches to date in AEW followed by arguably the best match of his career alongside Cody Rhodes, who ended up winning the title back.

Tragically, he passed away on December 20 due to a lung issue, but his legacy is felt in every fiber of AEW. The impact he had will live on, and his family has been well taken care of by AEW.

Serena Deeb

Serena had a rocky road in WWE. From a short stint working with CM Punk to a return in the Mae Young Classic that got her a training role in the WWE Performance Center, WWE saw her talent but never capitalized.

Her work has been on another level since leaving WWE, and the former NWA women's champion is elevating the talent around her. She is one of the best women's wrestlers in the world today, and companies are treating her that way.

Miro

It was a rocky start for Rusev when he left WWE and joined AEW. Many wondered if he was going to be stuck forever in a comedy angle with Kip Sabian, but the buildup paid off. When he broke away from Sabian, he had an undefeated streak going that was hard to ignore.

Now the TNT champion, Miro could be one of AEW's best signings. He has been featured repeatedly on promotions for AEW, including AEW Rampage, making him already feel like the franchise player he never was in WWE despite his talent and popularity.

FTR

Tag team wrestling is WWE's Achilles' heel. The Revival was supposed to help change the perception of tag team wrestling in WWE but struggled once leaving NXT.

AEW has not had that problem. In fact, the company may be most known for its tag team wrestling. Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood won the AEW Tag Team Championships early and have had reliably great matches throughout their run.

It is all down to whether The Pinnacle will be the spotlight that helps them remain relevant long-term.

Tay Conti

It would be easy to forget that Taynara Conti once performed in NXT as she was largely undervalued. While some of that can be attributed to her lack of experience in the ring, she showed quickly that WWE's style may have been holding her back.

She has become a staple of AEW's women's division. While the company still has work to do to elevate the division as a whole, Conti has the air of a star who can help carry that division forward, putting on really good matches with Hikaru Shida and Nyla Rose recently.

Pac

Adrian Neville was always an obvious in-ring star, but he came into WWE at a time when the company still struggled to find a proper spot for smaller performers. He was stuck in the cruiserweight division, where he did great work but was ultimately overshadowed by Enzo Amore.

Pac feels far more at home in AEW. He is in the best shape of his life, putting on great matches consistently. While he has still not won gold, AEW has kept him high on the card throughout, including nearly winning the AEW World Championship.

Trent?

Many may have forgotten Trent Barreta once worked in WWE, but he carries the remnant of that run with his missing last name. Making a name for himself far outside WWE's reach, Trent? has been one of AEW's top tag team specialists with Chuck Taylor.

While Best Friends have not won the tag team titles just yet, their memorable matches with Santana and Ortiz as well as FTR have been an early highlight of the brand. Trent? has also been a big part of helping Orange Cassidy become one of AEW's top young stars.

Sting

It almost feels sacrilegious to call The Icon a former WWE wrestler, but he did sign with the company late in his career to seemingly close out his legacy. After some frustrating injuries, the former WCW and TNA legend left unfulfilled.

WWE refused to let Sting wrestle again, but AEW has given him the chance to shine. For Sting, it has been an unmitigated success. He has had two great matches to date, including one in front of a full crowd for the first time in years.

For AEW, it is unclear whether he was necessary. The Icon has been working to elevate Darby Allin, but Allin was already on the rise beforehand. Both tag team matches could have been engaging with a young star in The Icon's place.

Matt Hardy

Matt has shown over the years that he is better with more creative control, even if he has a tendency to go a bit over the top. His latest run in WWE fell apart quickly. He is clearly more valued in AEW, where he is a fairly regular fixture on AEW Dynamite.

He is currently playing the manager for both Private Party and The Butcher and The Blade. Neither team has been elevated by that spotlight right away, but it has kept them on television, with Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen especially growing as characters.

Matt's impact in AEW is still not fully clear. It is likely long-term his work will be a major positive, though.

Christian Cage

AEW put major hype behind the signing of Christian from WWE. Much like Hardy, he is the rare veteran who found himself in a much better place outside WWE's grasp. His role in AEW to date though has been limited.

Christian is one of the most intelligent performers in wrestling, but his body has to be wearing down. At 47, he is certainly at the tail end of his career. He just needs to show that he has one last big run in him.

He could very well rise to the levels of Chris Jericho before he is done in AEW. He has not been pushed at that level off the bat, but he has more left in the tank.

Dustin Rhodes

Few have been more undervalued over the years than Dustin. The former Goldust struggled to find a reliable spot in WWE. His early work in AEW showed he still had more in the tank, putting on one of the best matches to date in AEW with his brother, Cody.

Dustin has turned more toward a mentor and coaching role since that time. While he still competes, his role on TV is far less defined. He is certainly in a better place than he was with WWE, but it feels like he could do more.

Billy Gunn

Gunn may not be wrestling much, but he is doing far more than he was near the end of his last run in WWE. In particular, he has to be happy to play a big role in assisting his sons, Austin and Colten Gunn, to grow into roles with AEW.

Billy has competed on occasion, but his role is mostly backstage, especially since Colten has taken his spot alongside Austin in the Gunn Club. At 57 years old, it is best that Billy primarily focus on staying out of the ring.

His role as a coach is hard to fully pinpoint, but with his knowledge of the business, he is an invaluable part of AEW, just not as a wrestler.

Shawn Spears

Tye Dillinger had his moments in WWE. However, The Perfect 10 was a gimmick that never had legs. When he headed to AEW, he started hot but has since tapered off a bit in relevance. Even now, as a member of The Pinnacle, he has felt like an afterthought.

The Chairman is talented and a solid hand, but his spotlight would assume he should make more of an impact. The level of talent in AEW has made Spears' importance to the company less and less clear, but perhaps he has yet to truly show what he can do.

Jake Hager

While Jack Swagger has not worked for WWE since 2017, he left on decent terms with a focus on mixed martial arts. As a former world champion in WWE, bringing him into any wrestling promotion should feel like a much bigger deal.

AEW tried to push Hager early, but he has mostly been the funny heavy for The Inner Circle rather than the genuine force most may have expected. He is a reliable personality but has not delivered in big matches, such as with Jon Moxley and Cody Rhodes.

Lance Archer

Calling Archer a former WWE Superstar may be pushing it as he spent just two years in the company. Much of his best work came after he headed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. However, his overall legacy when arriving in AEW indicated he would do more than he has.

He has been the odd man out. With no stable and no championships to his name, he has been promoted as a big deal but fallen short. This is not his own fault as Archer has always competed when given opportunities.

Archer especially is one to watch, as the right opportunity could be just around the corner.

Matt Sydal

Evan Bourne was released by WWE in 2014. He has traveled the world since. While he is an impressive high flier, he has rarely landed anywhere that made him feel like a true star beyond a few brief spotlights he received in WWE.

His run in AEW has been successful from a singles win-loss perspective, but he has yet to truly show his wherewithal to AEW. He is a talented high flyer, but on a somewhat bloated roster, he can seem like an unnecessary expense at times.

Andrade El Idolo

Andrade is one of the most talented performers in wrestling today. AEW pulled off a coup by signing him following his departure from WWE. However, it is unclear what his legacy will be. Could he follow the route of Miro or Jon Moxley in redefining his legacy as larger than it ever was in WWE?

It seems likely, but nothing is certain. El Idolo has to click with fresh eyes and continue to show his talent in the ring.

Paul Wight

No one could have ever expected Big Show to leave WWE. A longtime rock for the company, he decided he needed a new opportunity. Craving a commentary role for years, AEW gave him just that. He is still finding his footing at the desk, but he has steadily improved.

It is not clear yet how much he will compete in AEW. What is important is that he not overshadow the younger talent when he does. His role right now could lead to a few spotlight matches in the right moments.

Mark Henry

Following Wight out of WWE, Henry's role is largely undefined at the moment. He will play a key role for AEW Rampage and is looking to support AEW's recruiting efforts.

The World's Strongest Man has helped WWE get many top stars over the years. It is inevitable that he will attract some big names to the company. It is all down to whether the talent he finds can help the company. There's also the question of when or if we will ever see Henry wrestle again.