WWE, AEW Stars Most Likely to Jump Ship to Rival Company in 2026

The year 2026 has already proved to be an unpredictable one in the world of wrestling, specifically in terms of talent trading places between WWE and AEW.

Early in the year, Powerhouse Hobbs went from being one-third of the AEW World Trios champions one week to debuting for WWE in the men's Royal Rumble match the next.

Danhausen also joined WWE one day removed from being declared free from his All Elite Wrestling contract, and now he's among WWE's hottest sensations.

Meanwhile, Tommaso Ciampa was quick to put pen to paper with AEW upon his WWE contract expiring at the onset of the year, debuting on Dynamite the next day. Mick Foley was another notable name on WWE's payroll to make the leap to AEW this year as well.

Chris Jericho and AJ Styles nearly swapped companies as well but ultimately decided to stay put in AEW and WWE, respectively.

The following are the eight stars most likely to jump ship to the rival promotion in the remainder of 2026.

Big Bill

There have been a ton of rumblings in recent months that WWE might be interested in reuniting the duo of Enzo Amore and Big Cass (currently known as Big Bill in AEW), and when there's smoke, there's fire.

Following reports that Big Bill's AEW contract was believed to be expiring around late May or early June, he disappeared from AEW and Ring of Honor TV, fueling speculation about his future.

Granted, he was hardly featured all that much in the first place, but it is interesting to note that he and Bryan Keith haven't teamed together in over a month.

Bill and Enzo wouldn't be the most exciting addition to WWE's depleted tag team division, but they were never given a second chance in the company after they were unfairly split up in 2017. It's not as if WWE has many other interesting options at the moment.

If nothing else, Bill could do well on his own again in WWE. He was in the midst of a solid feud with Daniel Bryan before being released the last time and has improved immensely since then.

Johnny Gargano

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DIY were forced to go their separate ways earlier this year when Tommaso Ciampa departed WWE, leaving Johnny Gargano all by himself on SmackDown.

Granted, he still has his wife, Candice LeRae, by his side, even though that hasn't made much of a difference.

An alliance between Gargano and Motor City Machine Guns was also being teased prior to WrestleMania 42, only for the Guns to get released in the post-'Mania cuts.

Save for a match at NXT Stand & Deliver in early April, Gargano has spent much of the last six months literally laying on a crate backstage on SmackDown, with little meaningful direction.

Worse yet, there appears to be no endgame in sight. He's had brief interactions with Sami Zayn, but there's been zero indication that those are leading anywhere of note.

At least in AEW, Gargano would have a new batch of opponents to work with, faces both fresh and familiar to him. He'd also have the opportunity to reunite with Ciampa at any point in what's shaping up to be a stacked tag team division in AEW.

Britt Baker

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We're closing in on the two‑year mark since Britt Baker last appeared on AEW TV.

After a near-nine month absence, she returned to the company in the summer of 2024 for a feud with Mercedes Moné. She unsuccessfully challenged her for the AEW TBS Championship in a rather subpar match at All In before all but disappearing from programming.

AEW president Tony Khan has expressed his desire to see Baker back in AEW in past interviews, but she has yet to resurface. At this point, it's safe to assume she's simply waiting for her contract to expire.

As an AEW original, the 35-year-old would be welcomed into WWE with open arms, though NXT could use her more at the moment than either Raw or SmackDown.

Regardless of where Baker winds up, she feels like a better fit for WWE these days where she can attempt to reach some new goals.

Giulia

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WWE's booking of Giulia has been egregious over the last year, at least on the main roster.

In NXT, she was presented like a total star, including during her brief run as NXT Women's champion. Upon arriving on Raw and SmackDown, however, she was essentially utilized as a stepping stone.

Despite winning the Women's United States Championship in a matter of months, she was barely seen on SmackDown and was never involved in anything interesting. Additionally, her pairing with Kiana James was clearly designed to benefit James more than it was Giulia.

Thankfully, WWE has put more of an effort toward showcasing her lately as a babyface, but she still doesn't feel long for the company. It's unknown how long of a contract she signed for in 2024, or if it changed once she was sent to SmackDown, but it's possible she's gone by the end of the year.

If so, she'd be perfect fighting for either the AEW Women's World Championship or the AEW TBS Championship. The roster of women in AEW alone would make a run for her there worthwhile.

Jack Perry

Per Wrestling Observer Radio, Jack Perry is currently negotiating a new deal with AEW, with his contract said to be expiring at any moment; while the expectation is that he will re‑sign, nothing is finalized yet.

But what if he decides to leave at the last minute and makes his way over to WWE?

For a number of reasons, it may not be the best career move for the 29-year-old. Not only because of his history with CM Punk from the polarizing end of Punk's AEW run three years ago, but also because there isn't an obvious spot for him on Raw or SmackDown.

Similar to Britt Baker, he'd be better off starting off in NXT if he were to switch companies and finding his footing there. He's young enough that he still has many more years ahead of him if he can put all of the pieces together, and it can be argued he's gone as far as he can in AEW as a former TNT, National, FTW and world tag team champion.

Ilja Dragunov

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Ilja Dragunov has sorely been missed on SmackDown since before WrestleMania 42, especially since he played a pivotal role in carrying the blue brand during his exciting reign as United States champion late last year.

Unless he's injured and it just hasn't been reported, there really isn't a reason for why he's not being featured at the moment. SmackDown has been struggling creatively for many months and there's no upside to not having Dragunov in the mix in any form or fashion.

Whether he decides to walk away from WWE or he's outright released, Dragunov would excel in AEW. His in-ring intensity combined with his ability to have outstanding matches with a variety of opponents would make him a must-see prospect for sure.

AEW prides itself on being where the best wrestle, and that claim would certainly be verified if Dragunov, one of the most elite athletes in the world, were to join the promotion.

Anna Jay

Long before reports started popping up regarding Jack Perry's AEW contract status, his girlfriend Anna Jay was already rumored to be headed to WWE once her deal expires in the not-too-distant future.

Although she responded to the rumors on social media a few months ago without adding much in the way of clarity, her booking on AEW this year wouldn't suggest she's staying, either. She was gone for much of the year, and even once she returned to television, she and Tay Melo were rushed into a rivalry with The Divine Dominion that they lost.

Jay is both young and seasoned, so she'd undoubtedly have success no matter what WWE brand she ended up on. She's been so lost in the shuffle in AEW that a change of scenery could put her back on the path to super stardom.

Of course, she and Melo would do well as a tandem in either company (provided Melo wanted to make the move with her), but there's untapped potential there with Jay on her own.

Bayley

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The writing has been on the wall with Bayley in WWE for some time now, and no one on this list deserves the renewed spotlight on them more than her.

As one of the Four Horsewomen, she's practically done all there is to do in WWE over the last decade-plus. However, she's never consistently been portrayed in the same vein as the other three, at least in either of the world championship pictures.

In fact, she's spent the last year in tag team purgatory, and although she and Lyra Valkyria have worked well as partners, it's clear WWE doesn't plan for her to be challenging for or holding world title gold anytime soon. They just don't value her in that way it seems.

In AEW, she'd easily be one of the focal points of the division alongside her longtime friend and foe, Mercedes Moné, and the match possibilities are endless.

Bayley's loyalty to WWE up to this point should be commended, but it's time she was treated like the top title contender that she is.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.