5 AEW stars who snubbed WWE to sign with Tony Khan’s company

AEW has been the biggest competition for WWE in the past two decades. The Tony Khan-led creative has been proving week after week that they have the potential to go head-to-head with the Stamford-based promotion with their epic storytelling. Due to this factor, many top stars in the wrestling industry have gone for All Elite Wrestling even when they had an offer from WWE.

Since the Jacksonville-based promotion's inception, the stars have gotten an alternative to WWE. Many times, in the past few years, stars have snubbed WWE to sign a deal with All Elite Wrestling. Often, it is due to the creative freedom in Tony Khan's company and more focus on professional wrestling.

In this article, let's talk about 5 AEW stars who snubbed WWE to sign with Tony Khan’s company:

#5. Matt Jackson & #4. Nick Jackson

Matt and Nick Jackson have made it clear that they were close to signing with WWE back in 2019. The Young Bucks have disclosed many times that they have been in talks with WWE even before 2019. However, that year, they were negotiating to make a debut in the Stamford-based promotion.

But despite being this close, Matt and Nick decided to take a step back to continue their independent wrestling career. However, in late 2019, Tony Khan, Young Bucks, and the other members of The Elite founded All Elite Wrestling. It led to Matt & Nick Jackson snubbing WWE for good to sign up with Khan's promotion.

#3. Jon Moxley

Jon Moxley made a name for himself in WWE. He debuted with The SHIELD and created a solid impact. He then went on to become a World Heavyweight Champion in the year 2016. However, after having a significant run in the promotion, Jon slowly became frustrated with his booking direction in the company.

He was involved in random feuds during his final run, which created some heat between him and Vince McMahon. When his contract expired with WWE, Moxley decided to walk away from the company even before AEW's TV deal. In 2019, the 40-year-old star made his debut in All Elite Wrestling after signing a multi-year deal with Tony Khan's company.

#2. Adam Cole

Adam Cole had an exceptional run in NXT. He became one of the biggest stars in WWE's developmental brand, and fans were excited to see him on the main roster. However, according to some rumors from 2021, Vince McMahon was considering giving him a managerial role. It was believed that Cole was being eyed to become a manager for Keith Lee with a new gimmick.

This idea perhaps did not sit well with Adam, and he decided to leave WWE. Despite the stardom he had in NXT, he had no interest in working on the main roster. In September 2021, the former NXT Champion made his debut in All Elite Wrestling to align himself with The Elite at All Out.

#1. AEW's Kyle Fletcher

Kyle Fletcher has been a rising name in the world of professional wrestling. Before his AEW run, he was working in a tag team called Aussie Open with Mark Davis in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Speaking on the INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet podcast, Fletcher revealed that WWE offered his tag team a deal before signing with AEW.

As per The Protostar, that offer did not feel right back then. However, All Elite Wrestling soon pitched a deal. Fletcher believes Tony Khan's company felt like a better fit for them in terms of wrestling. As a result, he and Davis ultimately chose AEW over WWE. It marked the beginning of Kyle Fletcher's incredible run in the company, where he even managed to become a TNT Champion.

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Edited by Anugrah Tyagi