WWE and AEW Stars Who Made the Biggest Jumps in 2020

Several stars were able to make the most of this year's unfortunate circumstances and create greatness in WWE and AEW's empty arenas.

Drew McIntyre and Jon Moxley were arguably the MVPs for the two companies throughout the year because of their consistency as world champions. They never failed to deliver whenever it mattered most and were firmly positioned as the faces of their respective flagship shows.

Although fans could always rely on them being at the top of WWE Raw and AEW Dynamite, the rest of the landscape on both shows was constantly changing. October's WWE Draft saw multiple names go from Raw to SmackDown and vice versa, while Dynamite has benefited from bringing in a handful of talent from WWE and elsewhere.

The debuts themselves made for exciting moments and gave fans plenty to look forward to. 

Sometimes a change in scenery is all that's needed to revitalize one's career. It worked wonders for Moxley in 2019, and others were wise enough to follow in his footsteps this year and experience similar success.

Whether it was Raw and SmackDown Superstars switching shows, a top prospect from NXT getting called up or wrestlers leaving WWE for greener pastures in AEW, these were the 10 talents who made the biggest jumps in 2020.

Brodie Lee (WWE to AEW)

At this time one year ago, Luke Harper had just been released from his WWE contract. He had everyone in the wrestling realm buzzing about where he was headed next and how he was bound to be utilized to his full potential at long last wherever it was.

Sure enough, mere days after his 90-day no-compete clause with WWE expired, the former intercontinental champion made his highly anticipated AEW debut on Dynamite in March. The show was originally supposed to take place in his hometown of Rochester, NY, but the pandemic forced AEW to hold it without fans instead.

The man now known as Brodie Lee revealed himself as The Dark Order's Exalted One that evening and assumed his spot as the leader of the group. It wasn't the role fans thought he would have upon his exit from WWE, but he no doubt made the most of the opportunity and elevated Dark Order to new heights in the months that followed.

With plans constantly changing because of the pandemic, Lee was rushed into a shot at the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley at Double or Nothing. Despite the match coming together at the last minute, it turned out to be an excellent affair that saw Lee look fantastic in defeat.

He rode that wave of momentum into an eventual reign as TNT champion, dominating Cody Rhodes in a matter of minutes in order to win it. His title run, while brief, was incredibly dominant and allowed him to showcase skills some fans didn't know he had due to WWE's level of limitations.

Before he had a chance to return and reclaim the TNT title, Lee passed away on December 26 from a lung-related issue not related to COVID-19. The tribute edition of Dynamite that aired in his honor this past week did a fantastic job of showing the world what made him such a special individual.

AJ Styles (Raw to SmackDown to Raw)

After spending a solid three years on SmackDown and accomplishing all that he could, AJ Styles made his way over to Raw in 2019 and experienced an instant career resurgence. His reunion with The Good Brothers soon led him to regaining the United States Championship and dominating the singles ranks for the remainder of the year.

That's why it was so surprising when WWE decided to switch him back to the blue brand on a whim in May 2020. It came during the tournament to crown a new Intercontinental champion in the absence of former champ Sami Zayn, and ultimately, he emerged as the new champion.

Styles' SmackDown stint in 2020 was nothing short of stellar. Following his mat classic with Daniel Bryan, he defended the title on a fairly regular basis against all comers including Drew Gulak, Riddle and Gran Metalik.

Although he abruptly dropped the Intercontinental title to Jeff Hardy two days before SummerSlam, it wasn't long before he was sent packing back to Raw as part of the annual Draft. He ensured he wouldn't get lost in the shuffle by going undefeated for several weeks and leading his Survivor Series squad to victory.

The Phenomenal One closed out his year on a high note by nearly capturing the WWE Championship in a thrilling bout with Drew McIntyre at TLC. It should be noted that he was never pinned, so it's very possible he'll continue to chase the championship in the months to come and win it for the first time in over two years.

Matt Hardy (WWE to AEW)

As the end of Matt Hardy's WWE contract came closer and closer in the first few months of 2020, fans speculated whether he would re-sign with the company or look to make an exit. The more time he spent spinning his wheels on the Raw roster, the likelier it was that he would decide to call it quits.

His final two appearances on Raw with Randy Orton were the perfect write-off for him, and Hardy announced his free agency in early March. He teased going just about everywhere on social media but ultimately signed with AEW weeks later.

He unfortunately found himself in a similar situation to Brodie Lee in that he had to debut for the company in front of no fans at their first show of the pandemic era. Lee's reveal as The Exalted One was a swerve as many expected Hardy to fill the role. He appeared later on in the night when he was shown standing in the empty concourse portraying his popular Broken character.

Hardy has been an excellent asset to AEW in 2020. He aided The Elite in their war with The Inner Circle at Double or Nothing, worked with Sammy Guevara throughout the summer and aligned himself with Private Party in an effort to get them over as well.

He now finds himself back in his element as a heel, or at least showing signs of a heel turn in his matches with Private Party. Whether it's a rendition of his Iconic character from his IMPACT days or something else entirely, he's sure to make it work as always.

Bianca Belair (NXT to Raw to SmackDown)

Much like AJ Styles, Bianca Belair was on the move in 2020 and made an impact everywhere she went.

The EST of NXT started out the year on the black-and-gold brand, where she was a part of several memorable moments. She competed in the women's Royal Rumble match and took Charlotte Flair to the limit for the NXT Women's Championship at TakeOver: Portland. That string of impressive showings led to her debuting at WrestleMania 36 shortly thereafter.

As a member of the Raw roster, Belair was undefeated in one-on-one action but was largely only ever associated with The Street Profits. Although she was drafted to SmackDown along with Angelo Dawkins and her husband Montez Ford in the 2020 WWE Draft, she's thankfully been positioned as a singles performer since then.

Already in her short stint on SmackDown, she's proven to be a star on the rise. Her accomplishments have included qualifying for Team SmackDown at Survivor Series and nearly defeating former SmackDown women's champion Bayley when they waged war prior to the TLC pay-per-view.

Speaking of the SmackDown Women's Championship, it's more a matter of when than if she'll have that piece of gold in her grasp. If officials are as high on her as everyone else, then she'll be a sure-fire pick to win the women's Royal Rumble match next month and advance to WrestleMania 37 for a championship clash with Sasha Banks.

The blue brand should have a heavy emphasis on Bianca Belair in 2021.

Sting (WWE to AEW)

Sting didn't appear once on WWE TV in 2020, but he was under a Legends' contract with the company up until the springtime. 

At 61 years old, it would have been easy for (and expected of) him to let his latest run in WWE be it for him as far as a regular role on a national wrestling program went. He had nothing left to prove, yet he signed with AEW at the tail end of the year and shocked the world when he debuted on Dynamite in grand fashion.

The "Winter Is Coming" tagline was meant to serve as a tease for his epic arrival all along—and it did not disappoint. By merely bringing out his patented baseball bat and not saying anything at all, Sting electrified the entire AEW audience.

He later clarified that he's here to stay in AEW and all but confirmed that he'll be stepping inside the squared circle at some point. He hasn't made much else known in recent weeks, but his presence alone has been a recurring highlight on Dynamite this December.

It became clear that WWE was never going to clear Sting to compete again, not even for a cinematic match against someone such as The Undertaker. Now, he's right where he belongs.

Seth Rollins (Raw to SmackDown)

Although Seth Rollins has yet to do much of note on SmackDown, there can be no doubt that his move to Friday nights was a big deal when it happened as part of the 2020 WWE Draft. After all, he had spent his entire WWE career up to that point as a member of the Raw roster, and thus SmackDown was essentially uncharted waters to him.

That said, the transition from Mondays to Fridays was fairly seamless. He resumed his rivalry with Rey and Dominik Mysterio and soon made an enemy out of his own pupil, Murphy.

His bad blood with the Mysterios and Murphy culminated in back-to-back bouts on SmackDown, one where he lost to Rey and another where he lost to Murphy. He then sacrificed himself from Team SmackDown at Survivor Series and hasn't been seen since, presumably to allow Rollins some time off after Becky Lynch gave birth to the couple's child.

He's advertised to return this week on SmackDown, and there's no telling what he has in store. Whatever it is, it's bound to be a focal point of the program because of the name value he brings with him to the blue brand.

This selection isn't so much about what he's accomplished so far on Friday nights but rather what he's about to in 2021. Rollins should be as much of a commodity on SmackDown as he was on Raw and may very well make it his home for years to come.

Miro (WWE to AEW)

Like Luke Harper, Rusev fell into the same group of individuals who were wasted in WWE and needed a fresh start somewhere else. He was finally afforded that opportunity when he was released from his contract in April and officially joined free agency in the summer.

It took a little longer than expected, but Miro made his way to AEW in September. Days removed from the All Out pay-per-view, he was introduced as Kip Sabian's best man and has been slotted in that role ever since.

Of everyone on this list, he has arguably made the least impact out of anyone in his new home. That isn't to say he's as far down on the totem pole as he was in WWE a year ago, but his appearances haven't felt exciting.

In 2021, however, look for him to really break out and leave his mark on the roster. He's had glimmers of greatness lately and can be an asset to AEW if built up the right way.

For one, the gamer gimmick has got to go. He needs to be portrayed as the dominant monster heel he was years ago in WWE, or at least strike the right balance between being serious and being entertaining.

Bray Wyatt (SmackDown to Raw)

When The Fiend lost the Universal Championship to Goldberg in shocking fashion at Super ShowDown in February, fans figured it would be all downhill for him from there. However, he managed to weather the storm and end up in a better spot than he was previously by the close of 2020.

After disposing of John Cena in a unique Firefly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36, Wyatt set his sights back on the universal title, which was held by his former Wyatt Family stablemate Braun Strowman. Their matches were far from stellar, but they did lead to him regaining the gold in a hard-fought Falls Count Anywhere match at SummerSlam.

Roman Reigns' return signaled that his days at the top of the card on SmackDown were numbered, so WWE was smart to shift him over to Raw in the draft. It was during this period that he added Alexa Bliss to his act and the two became one of the most compelling parts of the program each week.

That trend continued on Raw upon their arrival when The Fiend single-handedly took out Retribution and later rekindled his rivalry with Randy Orton. Although he was basically burned alive by The Legend Killer at TLC, the resurrection of The Fiend is only inevitable.

Switching shows this year was the best thing that could have happened to Wyatt seeing as how much more natural of a fit he is on Raw compared to SmackDown.

FTR (WWE to AEW)

As noted, multiple ex-WWE talent made the jump to AEW in 2020, though none appeared to be more creatively frustrated while with their former employer than The Revival.

It had long been rumored they were eyeing the exit once their contracts came due. They had been marginalized in WWE's tag team division for years, and it only made sense for them to want to go to a promotion where tag team wrestling was a priority.

The former Raw, SmackDown and NXT tag team champions made their final appearance for WWE in January and were granted their release in April. They also had a unique situation where WWE waived their 90-day no-compete clause.

The decorated team, rechristened as FTR, took full advantage by debuting for AEW just over a month later following the Double or Nothing pay-per-view. They immediately started their storyline with The Young Bucks and went on to dominate AEW's tag team ranks before becoming AEW tag team champions at All Out.

The last stretch of 2020 was quiet for them as they look to rebuild after losing to the Young Bucks, but it's evident they made the right choice in turning down new deals from WWE and heading to the opposition instead. Although they've already held the tag team titles, they've only scratched the surface of what they can do.

Keith Lee (NXT to Raw)

Keith Lee entered 2020 with his stock at an all-time high, and it only continued to soar from there.

In the first month of the year alone, he defeated Roderick Strong for the NXT North American Championship and entered the men's Royal Rumble match, where he stood toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar and had a strong showing. He then embarked on a dominant reign as North American champ and knocked back challenges from the likes of Dominik Dijakovic, Damian Priest, Cameron Grimes, Johnny Gargano and Finn Balor.

It all built to him dethroning Adam Cole for the NXT Championship and becoming the brand's first-ever dual champion in the process. His time on top at NXT didn't last long, however, as he quickly transitioned over to the Raw roster one night removed from SummerSlam.

His updated entrance music and attire were certainly questionable, but he at least debuted with a bang by confronting Randy Orton and later beating him clean that Sunday at the Payback pay-per-view.

He's had his fair share of losses since then, including to Braun Strowman more than once and in a handicap match against The Miz and John Morrison. That said, he's also been a sole survivor at Survivor Series and earned an opportunity to fight Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship this coming week on Raw.

If you thought Lee's 2020 was impressive, just watch what he'll bring to the table in 2021 and beyond, as there's a good chance he'll once again be holding gold by this time next year.

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.