4 stars who have become world champions in both WWE and AEW

AEW was founded in 2019 by Tony Khan and The Elite, and the pro wrestling world hasn’t been the same since. For the first time since the days of WCW, there was strong competition for WWE, a wrestling promotion with enough financial backing to challenge them. It quickly became the second-largest wrestling promotion globally.

Competition made pro wrestling better, and having AEW as an alternative also meant that wrestlers who failed to make it big in one promotion still had the opportunity to revive their career in another, creating more jobs for everyone involved.

But there have also been some names who have not only thrived but reached the top of the chain, becoming a world champion in both of these promotions. In this listicle, we will look at four stars who have become world champions in both WWE and AEW.

#4. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho was the inaugural AEW World Champion. He won the title by pinning Hangman Adam Page in the main event of All Out 2019 after hitting him with his finisher, the Judas Effect.

Jericho being champion brought a lot of credibility and his established WWE fanbase to the product, who tuned in to see him as champion. Chris Jericho was also a six-time world champion in WWE. His last title reign was in 2010, where he captured the World Heavyweight Championship by winning the Elimination Chamber match that year.

#3. Jon Moxley

Jon Moxley is a four-time AEW World Champion, holding the title at present in a reign that has already lasted over 250 days. He won the championship from Bryan Danielson at WrestleDream 2024, also ending his full-time career in the process.

Jon Moxley was also a world champion during his tenure at WWE, when he wrestled as Dean Ambrose. He won the Money in the Bank contract in 2016 and later cashed in on the same night after Seth Rollins defeated Roman Reigns in the main event of the show for the WWE Championship. He would hold the championship for 84 days before losing it to AJ Styles at Backlash.

#2. Bryan Danielson

Bryan Danielson, better known as Daniel Bryan, was a five-time world champion in the WWE. His most famous title win came in the main event of WrestleMania 30, where he defeated Randy Orton and Batista to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, driven by the support of the fans and the iconic Yes Movement.

However, he also won the AEW World Championship in the main event of All In 2024, defeating Swerve Strickland in a title vs. career match. He would lose the title to Jon Moxley 49 days later at WrestleDream, also ending his full-time wrestling career.

#1. CM Punk

CM Punk has also been a five-time world champion in WWE. His most notable WWE title reign was also his last in WWE, lasting 434 days, spanning from November 20, 2011, to January 27, 2013. It is still considered one of the longest and most successful reigns in the modern era of WWE.

CM Punk was also a two-time world champion in AEW in his short tenure there. He won the title for the first time at AEW Double or Nothing 2022, defeating Hangman Adam Page. His first title reign ended with him having to relinquish it due to injury.

He defeated Jon Moxley at All Out 2022 to reclaim the championship, but his reign lasted only three days, the shortest in AEW history, as Punk was stripped of the title on September 7, 2022, following a backstage altercation with The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson) during the All Out media scrum.

Edited by Arsh Das