WWE and AEW Stars Trending Towards Leaving the Company in 2025

The Road to WrestleMania is one of the most entertaining periods on the wrestling calendar, but there are several top stars in WWE and AEW who could be looking for a new job in 2025.

In WWE, several Superstars like Shinsuke Nakamura and Finn Balor have been cast aside over the last several years, wasting their ultimate potential. On the All Elite Wrestling side, few top names have been wasted as much as Britt Baker.

Here are the performers trending toward leaving WWE and AEW this year.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Rumors emerged recently that Shinsuke Nakamura would reportedly leave WWE after losing the United States Championship to LA Knight.

While Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Ojas Kulkarni of Yahoo) said the talk was unfounded, he did leave the door open for the company not to use the Japanese star until his contract expires.

The King of Strong Style was seemingly moved away from the U.S. title scene with his match against Damian Priest and his interaction with Drew McIntyre, and WrestleVotes reported that the former champion could miss WrestleMania 41 since the creative team has no plans for him.

There is no question that Nakamura deserves better.

Since jumping to WWE from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the 45-year-old has been one of the most popular performers on the roster, but the booking has never truly reflected the reactions he received. Instead of capitalizing on his momentum, he was used as a gatekeeper.

If Nakamura leaves WWE in 2025, he will have ample options for his next move, with including a return to Japan or staying in the U.S. and signing a big deal with AEW.

Britt Baker

The biggest name in AEW who could be on the move is Britt Baker, who hasn't been used on television in recent months.

Since her loss to Penelope Ford in November, rumors have swirled about the potential departure of the former women's champion.

Last month, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select (h/t Colin Tessier of Wrestle Zone) reported Baker had taken time off from AEW and there were no indications she would be leaving the company. The news did not stop the rumors about her exit, though.

If Baker is eventually released or her contract expires, a jump to WWE would be the best-case scenario for all parties involved, as her character work had grown stale and her in-ring work wasn't being appreciated.

In WWE, Baker would benefit from time in NXT, re-learning the industry from WWE's perspective. The 33-year-old has the star power to be one of WWE's top women, and the fresh matchups against endless opponents would generate legitimate excitement again.

Finn Balor

Between Finn Balor as his standard character and his Demon alter ego, he is one of the most marketable performers on the WWE roster. But the creative team gives him nothing but secondary stories that fail to maximize his talents.

In addition to being immensely popular and elite in the ring, the former world champion has shown the ability to be a top star. Instead, he's losing Intercontinental Championship matches and likely fighting Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania.

Balor should take his talents to AEW as soon as possible.

For the critics who complain about Jon Moxley and The Death Riders and their perceived negative impact on AEW, Balor would instantly be thrown into the world championship scene and The Demon would finally make his return.

Not only would the move be good for AEW and its main event scene, but it would also be the boost Balor needs to return to the top of the card.

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