2025 has seen several notable names from WWE’s past re-sign with the company, with the likes of AJ Lee and Nikki Bella making a splash after many years away from the ring.
As WWE heads into 2026 we could see more former names show back up within WWE’s walls, whether it be stars with similar ‘legend’ status, or other talent who never reached the heights they’re capable of during their first run in the company.
Here are six former WWE stars to potentially re-sign with the company.
6. Matt Cardona (Zack Ryder)
Friday Night SmackDown saw Matt Cardona, aka Zack Ryder make his surprise return to WWE to compete in John Cena’s ‘Last Time is Now’ tournament.
Making his entrance, complete with his beloved ‘Radio’ entrance theme, Ryder received a huge ovation from the crowd in Albany and put in a great showing against one of WWE’s top babyface stars in LA Knight.
While it remains to be seen whether he will make full return to the company, there are clearly still plenty of fans who have fond memories of “Long Island Iced Z”, so many will be hoping that his appearance is more than just a one off.
While all signs point towards that being the case right now, WWE are now selling Zack Ryder merch on WWE.com again so there’s reason to remain hopeful of the TNA star finally re-signing with the company full time in 2026.
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5. Saraya (Paige)
With AJ Lee and Nikki Bella now back in WWE, fans will be hoping that another star from the 2010s could soon follow suit, that being former two time WWE Divas Champion Saraya (fka Paige).
After Saraya wrapped up her time in AEW back in March, she made no secret that she’d be interested in a WWE return in the future but was happy to take some time away from wrestling for the time being.
Beyond a potential surprise return at the Royal Rumble in February, many will hope to see Saraya get another sustained run in WWE after having her career cut short due to injury eight years ago.
Whether it be tangling with names from the early NXT days such as Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch or taking on the new crop of talent in WWE like Stephanie Vaquer and Roxanne Perez, there are plenty of reasons WWE should be looking to bring the English star back.
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4. Chris Jericho
While still signed with AEW for the time being, it appears as if Chris Jericho’s six year association with Tony Khan’s company is set to come to an end.
The inaugural AEW World Champion’s contract is reportedly up at the end of the year, and there’s no indication that he’s going to be returning to TV before that point.
With Jericho falling out of favor with much of the AEW fanbase it is a perfect time for “Y2J” to re-sign with WWE for one last run, complete with a well earned Hall of Fame induction.
“Break the Walls Down” will be expected to be heard at the 2026 Royal Rumble, with Jericho able to tangle with many stars that he didn’t have the chance to over the past seven years he’s been away from the company.
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3. Killer Kross (Karrion Kross)
Without much of a push from WWE themselves, Karrion Kross managed to get massively over with a great deal of the WWE fanbase in 2025.
However, rather than continuing that momentum into 2026, he instead found himself out of a job alongside his wife Scarlett.
While there was at first a strong belief among fans that his August exit was a “work”, that is obviously not the case, with Kross and Scarlett now plying their trade on the independent scene once again.
It may be unlikely at this point, but it’s not been too long that WWE couldn’t potentially work out a new deal for Kross and Scarlett in 2026, as he’s yet to commit to signing elsewhere.
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2. The Hardy Boyz
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the WWE and TNA partnership has undoubtedly been Matt and Jeff Hardy.
The legendary duo found themselves back in WWE after many years away in 2025, competing in NXT against WWE talent such as Fraxiom and Darkstate to name a few.
They even added yet another accolade to their trophy cabinets, as they defeated Darkstate to win the NXT Tag Team Titles at WWE NXT Showdown last month.
While the run was brief, fans could potentially see more of Matt and Jeff in WWE in 2026, with reports suggesting the pair’s TNA contracts are due to expire soon.
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1. Dakota Kai
Back in May, multi-time former tag team champion Dakota Kai was released by WWE to the surprise of many.
Just a few months before her departure Kai was featuring in the finals to determine the inaugural WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion and featuring regularly alongside her former Damage CTRL teammates.
Since being let go by WWE, Kai has not yet return to the ring making her next move in wrestling hard to predict.
While there has not been any reports to suggest a WWE return is on the cards, the longer she remains a free agent, the more fans can potentially hope that WWE could see the error of their ways and bring the New Zealand born star back into the company.
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