With AEW enjoying a great boost in popularity lately, fans can help but wonder whether more new signings could be incoming
While the arrival of Thekla is proof of the exciting free agents that are available right now, there are also stars that exited AEW over the last six years who could potentially be due a second look.
Here are seven former AEW stars who could potentially return to the company soon.
7. Leyla Hirsch
‘Legit’ Leyla Hirsch remains one of the most gifted female free agents on the market.
After five years with AEW, she was let go in February 2025 and has been accepting bookings all over the world.
She might be one of the biggest missed opportunities in AEW’s Women’s Division, and after some reconsideration, giving her a major role back with AEW might be very beneficial for both parties.
Considering the way her initial AEW push was derailed with injury, it seems only right that she gets a second chance at some point down the road.
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6. Bea Priestley (Blair Davenport)
For Bea Priestly, it would be a second tenure in AEW, having previously been signed to the company between 2019-2020.
With a stint in WWE following one year after her AEW exit, she remained signed to the company for four years before being released in February.
Maybe now, having experienced both companies before she’s even reached 30, another crack at AEW could not really work.
In fact, the AEW Women’s Roster could deal with some British representation, and when it comes to that, Priestley is the best free agent on the market right now.
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5. Jack Evans
Jack Evans was an AEW original, but unfortunately he was also one of the first people to be let go from the company when his contract was not renewed in 2022.
Still, Evans has long been a cornerstone of the indy scene, and although he never won an AEW Championship by himself or with his former Tag Team Partner Angelico, there is still a chance he might return.
Whether they bring back Hybrid 2 to finally win the AEW World Tag Team Championship, or in a veteran role for ROH, it would be very interesting to see Evans in the 2025 AEW ring.
At 43 years old, Evans wouldn’t be a signing for the future, but given his over two decades of experience there’s certainly a role he could play.
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4. Stu Grayson
He may be the only star on this list to have two separate AEW stints to his name, but Stu Grayson could potentially be someone the company looks at again in the future.
Grayson’s first run in AEW saw him compete as a member of the Dark Order in a stint that lasted from 2019 to 2022, while his ROH run lasted only a year from 2023 and 2024, but at 36 he still has time on his side.
The reason Grayson managed to get another AEW contract in the first place is his incredible in-ring talent. He might be the most underutilised talent in AEW history.
Grayson is able to hang with the greatest in the world between the ropes, and a more prominent position in a third run of the company might help everyone to realise this.
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3. Bobby Fish
Bobby Fish left AEW in 2022 after mostly performing alongside former stablemates Kyle O’Reilly and Adam Cole.
However, while O’Reilly and Cole have remained in AEW, performing alongside fellow Undisputed Era alum Roderick Strong, Fish has not been back in the company.
While Fish’s age may make it unlikely he returns for another run, Paragon truly feels incomplete without him.
Bringing back Bobby Fish as a veteran to help younger talent and to unlock the full potential of Paragon would be amazing.
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2. Tully Blanchard
Now that FTR are back to being heels, they added Stokely Hathaway as their manager. But is he really the right guy for FTR? Way back when, legendary wrestler Tully Blanchard was their manager and it was a coming together that just felt right.
Sadly, in 2022, Blanchard’s contract was not renewed, and after managing several wrestlers in ROH, his time there came to an end.
While he has popped up in the crowd at WWE events alongside fellow AEW alum Arn Anderson, he’s not signed to the company so perhaps they could bring him back in a managerial role once again.
Blanchard would do wonders as a manager in AEW, even if its not for FTR, as many others on the roster would benefit from having him in their corner.
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1. Big Swole
Out of all the entries on this list, Big Swole is certainly the least likely to return given the public comments both she and Tony Khan had for one another following her exit from the company in 2021.
Despite all that, though, there is a catch: AEW is potentially going to be after Swole’s husband – Cedric Alexander, who is rumoured to join The Hurt Syndicate down the road?
Perhaps if Alexander joins AEW then some fences can be mended? Who knows?
If there was a way to get both Swole and Alexander back as a pairing, then the mens and women’s rosters would only be improving, with The Hurt Syndicate potentially getting their first female member in the process.
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