With the former Powerhouse Hobbs making his debut at the Royal Rumble 2026 as Royce Keys, he could be joined by others soon.
From legendary returns of stars that have history in WWE to others that could be chasing the dream for the first time, there are some more potential defectors that could be joining WWE in 2026.
Here are five more AEW stars that could be the next to join Royce Keys in WWE.
5. Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho’s pro-wrestling hiatus continues – last being seen in AEW back in April 2025.
While fans may have expected to see him pop-up at the Royal Rumble 2026, perhaps Jericho’s arrival in WWE is still forthcoming.
With his rock band Fozzy touring the UK throughout the month of February, it might be that fans end up seeing Jericho pop-up in WWE after WrestleMania 42.
Possibly arriving as a surprise after Mania, there could be a continued delay on seeing the return of the legendary star in WWE.
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4. Anna Jay
In the case of another mysterious AEW disappearance, Anna Jay hasn’t been seen in AEW action since November 2025 when Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir booted her and partner Tay Melo from the tournament to crown the first AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions.
With some initial reports suggesting that Anna Jay could become a free agent early in 2026, it was later clarified that her obligation to AEW continues to “Spring 2026”.
While it may be a few more months until Anna Jay actually enters free agency, it would make complete sense to see her follow suit to join Blake Monroe in WWE.
Potentially debuting on NXT first, Jay’s future in the industry still certainly seems bright wherever she ends up signing next.
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3. Paige
A former WWE star turned AEW star that may find her way back ‘home’ is Paige.
While she didn’t make a surprise return at the Royal Rumble 2026 as was heavily rumored, perhaps there is still a future return on the cards for Paige.
Appearing in AEW under her real first name Saraya, the former NXT Women’s Champion and Divas Champion more recently captured the AEW Women’s World Championship.
Recently amassing a lot of support after posting videos of her doing some in-ring training, fans are hopeful that there will be a return to action from Paige in WWE in 2026.
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2. Bryan Danielson
With the effervescent return of Brie Bella, the WWE fans’ reactions made it clear that fans would also be thrilled to see her other half make a return.
While Bryan Danielson had been seated on commentary for recent months of AEW broadcasts, time will tell how much Danielson will continue to feature on AEW commentary, with Dave Meltzer recently commenting that the travelling has caused continued ‘neck issues’ for the retired star.
While AEW typically tours locations that are much further away from Danielson’s Arizona home, it would make sense to see him pop up on commentary for west coast dates for either AEW or WWE in the future.
Although it may be a long shot, fans won’t stop believing that Daniel Bryan could make a return one day.
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1. Danhausen
An AEW star that fans have long speculated could be WWE bound is the quirky character of Danhausen.
With plenty of friends in WWE (including CM Punk) and reportedly with a fan in The Rock, fans were hopeful that perhaps Danhausen could arrive in 2026.
While the exact details of his current contract status aren’t fully known, by all reports Danhausen is within weeks of free agency at time of writing.
Potentially able to arrive ahead of WrestleMania 42, Danhausen could be another fun surprise that ends up arriving on the WWE Raw after Mania for example.
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