Who Will Be the First WWE Superstar to Sign and Appear in AEW?

• All Elite Wrestling’s premiere pay-per-view Double or Nothing on May 25th was met with critical acclaim
• The company is set to hold their second event, All In, in Chicago on August 21st
• Who will leave WWE between now and sign with AEW?

It’s an exciting time in wrestling right now for fans and for the wrestlers themselves, specifically because of the official formation of All Elite Wrestling at the onset of 2019. With this new company led by Cody, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, there is now an additional place for people to work and for fans to enjoy.

Anyone who had doubts regarding AEW had to have been impressed with the production that was Double or Nothing in Las Vegas over Memorial Day weekend. AEW proved they were more than a “t-shirt company” with that critically-acclaimed event, especially once Jon Moxley shocked the world with his appearance.

The former Dean Ambrose had been pegged for AEW as far back as January when it was originally rumored that his WWE contract was set to expire in April. It didn’t take him long to arrive in AEW, which begs the question of how many other Superstars are looking to get their release from WWE in the near future in time for AEW’s next pay-per-view, All Out, on August 31st?

Odds are up on who fans see quitting WWE for bigger and better things in AEW.

Who Will Be the First WWE Superstar to Sign with AEW?

*Odds taken 06/12/19

Fans putting money on Ziggler departing WWE sooner rather than later is hardly a surprise given his current position in the company, making him the safest bet of the bunch.

Ziggler has been treated like a secondary player for many years. It’s actually amazing he hasn’t already requested his release.

Although he’s recently been in contention for the WWE Championship, Ziggler has been treated like a secondary player for many years. It’s actually amazing he hasn’t already requested his release from the company considering he’d be a good fit literally anywhere else.

Right behind him is Finn Balor. Despite being the current Intercontinental champion, he too has felt like an afterthought as of late and was even left off this week’s episode of SmackDown Live. He has expressed the least amount of frustration with WWE of everyone listed, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be welcomed with open arms in AEW.

Luke Harper, Sasha Banks, and The Revival have all reportedly wanted out of their contracts this year, so it’s safe to say they will be AEW bound eventually. Meanwhile, Rusev doesn’t seem like the AEW type, but he has been misused for so long that him leaving WWE is only inevitable.

His partner Shinsuke Nakamura has already gone on record in saying he plans to say with WWE for the foreseeable future, but it’s possible something could change when his contract officially expires. I mean, when was he last on SmackDown, anyway?

Another name rumored for All Out in August is CM Punk. Fans have been clamoring to see Punk work with Cody and The Young Bucks since All In almost a year ago, and with All Out emanating from Chicago, this could be his chance to make a major impact.

Will CM Punk Appear at All Out?

Interestingly enough, a majority of fans expect Punk to appear at All Out, even though he hasn’t been associated with the wrestling world in any form or fashion in over five years.

If Punk was ever going to lace up the ol’ boots again, AEW would be the perfect place for him to do it.

If Punk was ever going to lace up the ol’ boots again, AEW would be the perfect place for him to do it, and a debut in his hometown would cause that Chicago crowd to explode. Think Moxley’s debut at Double or Nothing times 10.

It’s far from a lock that we see The Second City Saint sign with AEW and show up at their next pay-per-view over Labor Day weekend, but it’d undoubtedly be a big get for the upstart promotion if it were to happen.