WWE may still be the top dog in wrestling, but quite a few wrestlers have jumped ship to up-and-coming organization AEW in the last year or so. WWE's status as the leader of the professional wrestling industry has never really been challenged since the demise of both WCW and ECW in March 2001. WWE owner Vince McMahon would end up buying the assets of both companies, and since then has reigned as the emperor of "sports entertainment," as he prefers to call wrestling.
Several companies, most notably Impact Wrestling (formerly TNA), have tried to claim the spot of clear #2 promotion, but none have really come close, at least not until the emergence of AEW. AEW officially launched in 2019, after the runaway success of 2018's All In pay-per-view, which was organized by many of the people who would put together what would become AEW. The driving forces behind the formation were themselves wrestlers, including Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, and The Young Bucks.
Handling the business end and bankrolling the operation is Tony Khan, son of billionaire Jacksonville Jaquars owner Shahid Khan. While AEW certainly isn't on WWE's level of pop culture relevance yet, they continue to grow, and could well eventually get there. This fact is demonstrated by the surprising number of talents, both main eventers and up and comers, that have decided to leave WWE and ply their trade in AEW. Many wonder if Bray Wyatt will join this club soon.
Chris Jericho
Arguably one of the greatest performers in the history of wrestling, Chris Jericho has been successfully revitalizing and reinventing his character for well over two decades, much of that time spent with WWE. He left the company in 2018, and became the first big outside signing announced for AEW in 2019. Jericho was the first AEW World Champion, and remains a top of the card star.
Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose)
By the time Jon Moxley (then known as Dean Ambrose) allowed his WWE contract to expire in WWE, he had been unhappy with his character's direction in the company for a long time. He was briefly a WWE world champion, but also made into a goofy comedy character. Moxley made a splash in AEW, debuting on their inaugural pay-per-view, Double or Nothing 2019. He later dethroned Jericho for the world title.
Sting
A true legend of the wrestling business, Sting spent the prime of his career as a top star in WCW, and was the only major WCW talent not to go to WWE after WCW closed down. Instead, Sting became a mainstay in TNA. When Sting finally went to WWE in 2014, he was booked to lose his debut, then got injured wrestling Seth Rollins. Sting was thought to be done, until resurfacing in AEW in 2020, proving he can still go at 62.
Paul Wight (The Big Show)
Paul Wight, formerly known as The Big Show, is a mountain of a man, and after 20-plus years with WWE, seemed like a lifer. Then, in February 2021, Wight shockingly left WWE and jumped to AEW. While he's semi-retired, and working right now as a color commentator, Wight hasn't ruled out returning to the ring in AEW. At age 49, there's no real reason he couldn't have another big match in him.
Mark Henry
Debuting with WWE in 1996, "The World's Strongest Man" Mark Henry took nearly 15 years to finally hit his stride and become a main event player via 2011's excellent "Hall of Pain" storyline. Now a revered legend and WWE Hall of Famer, Henry, like his old rival Big Show, shocked fans by jumping to AEW in 2021. He's also currently a semi-retired commentator, but also hasn't ruled out an in-ring return.
Cody Rhodes
While Cody Rhodes didn't jump directly from WWE to AEW, his growing disgruntled with WWE and leaving in 2016 proved to be a vital event on the road to his becoming an AEW co-founder. Cody spent the next couple of years becoming an even bigger name on the international scene, having stints in TNA, ROH, and NJPW along the way, before helping make AEW a thing.
Christian Cage
After having thought to be retired due to concussion issues, Christian Cage shocked fans by returning to WWE at Royal Rumble 2021. Then, almost as quickly as he came back, Christian was gone, as he wasn't under contract. Instead of re-signing with WWE, Christian jumped to AEW, debuting at Revolution 2021. While Christian has yet to win AEW singles gold, it's likely only a matter of time.
Matt Hardy
Ever since the rise of the Hardy Boyz in the Attitude Era, Matt Hardy has always been in the thick of the wrestling scene, whether that be in WWE, TNA, ROH, or now AEW. When Matt last returned to WWE in 2017, fans couldn't wait for his "Broken" character to appear, but it just never clicked inside the WWE venue. Matt left for AEW in 2020, and is now reprising his "Big Money Matt" heel character from TNA.
Miro (Rusev)
Debuting as a fairly standard foreign heel character, the former Rusev got over with WWE fans organically once he began to show more of his personality, leading to the hugely popular "Rusev Day" gimmick. WWE never seemed willing to push Rusev as a top star though, and after an awful feud with Bobby Lashley over his wife Lana, Miro jumped to AEW in 2020, and currently reigns as the dominant TNT Champion.
Dustin Rhodes (Goldust)
A wrestler for over 30 years, Cody Rhodes' older brother Dustin is best known for playing the Goldust character in WWE. His most recent stint with them ended in 2019, and after his contract expired, Dustin wasted no time joining his brother in AEW. The brothers would have a terrific, bloody match at Double or Nothing 2019, and Dustin has remained a prominent member of the roster since.
Brodie Lee (Luke Harper)
As Luke Harper in WWE, Brodie Lee managed to earn fans via his crazy charisma and hard-hitting style, but WWE never seemed to know how to use him. Lee left WWE in late 2019, and debuted for AEW a few months later, being unveiled as The Dark Order's "Exalted One." Lee had a great run, winning the TNT Championship and feuding with Cody Rhodes. Tragically, Lee passed away due to a sudden illness in December 2020.
Pac (Neville)
After a great run in the early days of NXT, Neville struggled on the main WWE roster. He did eventually have a well-received stint as 205 Live's heel "King of the Cruiserweights," but Neville balked at losing to Enzo Amore, and walked out on WWE in 2018. In January 2019, Neville, now Pac, arrived in AEW, and has been a featured player ever since, outside of a period where COVID travel restrictions kept him out of the U.S.
FTR (The Revival)
Then known as The Revival, FTR were big stars in NXT, becoming its first ever two-time tag team champions. After several years of bad booking on the main WWE roster, FTR jumped to AEW in 2020, and went on to become AEW tag team champions for a while. They now reside within MJF's heel stable The Pinnacle, and are managed by wrestling legend Tully Blanchard.
Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger)
After several years not really doing much in NXT, Tye Dillinger finally hit his stride in the "Perfect 10" gimmick, getting over organically with the crowd. As has happened all too often though, his time on the main WWE roster saw Dillinger flounder. Dillinger jumped to AEW in 2019, under the ring name Shawn Spears, has feuded with the Rhodes brothers, and is now part of The Pinnacle as well.
Jake Hager (Jack Swagger)
Tall, built, and skilled in the ring, Jack Swagger seemed destined to be a top WWE star, but it never really worked out. He did get a brief run with the WWE's world championship, but mostly ended up in the mid-card. Swagger left WWE in 2017, and after a brief stint in Lucha Underground, debuted for AEW in 2019 on the first Dynamite broadcast. He's currently a member of Chris Jericho's stable The Inner Circle.
Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan, one of the most popular wrestlers of the 2010s, isn't yet officially confirmed as signing with AEW, but multiple reports allege it's a done deal. Bryan was forced to retire due to injuries in 2016, but by 2018 had managed to get cleared to return. His contract with WWE expired in mid-2021, and his AEW debut is expected within the next few months.
CM Punk
Like Daniel Bryan, CM Punk isn't yet officially confirmed as jumping to AEW, but multiple reports say he's locked in. Punk famously walked out on WWE in 2014 due to a variety of issues with the company, and has been away from wrestling since. At age 42 though, there's no reason Punk still can't have many great years left as a wrestler in AEW, especially if he goes the part-time route.