With talk swirling about which stars could possibly make the leap from AEW to WWE next, some debuts could come at WrestleMania 41.
From those who have long been benched in AEW to some who have been active more recently, it is possible any of these stars could make their WWE debut in Las Vegas.
Here are seven AEW stars that could make debuts at WWE WrestleMania 41.
7. Paige (Saraya)
The ‘WWE to AEW and potentially back’ pipeline is not only reserved for male talent with fans also hopeful that Saraya (Paige in WWE) will pop up sometime soon as well.
Saraya recently confirmed she had departed AEW, launched a podcast and dropped her memoir – but despite her busy schedule, fans are still hopeful she’ll return to WWE.
Whether or not the former Paige wants to return to in-ring action regularly in WWE or rather make special appearances – the women’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber didn’t even exist when she was last in WWE – it would be iconic to see her back.
Given the rumors that WWE will host a second edition of the all-female Evolution premium live event in July 2025, it could make sense to see Paige make an appearance at WrestleMania 41 to get involved in the action.
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6. Wardlow
Wardlow hasn’t been seen in action in AEW since March 2024 at Big Business when he lost to Samoa Joe via referee’s decision.
However after his year-long absence from the company, it seems almost more likely to see Wardlow debut in WWE than return to AEW.
The commanding presence of Wardlow would be a great fit as an enforcer for any stable that needs a recruit, anywhere on the WWE card.
With other stars such as Ricky Saints and Ethan Page finding not only a fresh start in NXT but going on to quickly win titles, perhaps Wardlow could be the next to follow suit.
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5. Aleister Black
With dark themed vignettes having aired on WWE SmackDown, all signs are pointing to the return of Aleister Black.
Potentially returning at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, it would be a huge way to be re-introduced to the WWE fandom on the grandest stage of them all.
A big surprise return to WWE at WrestleMania could be a way to immediately create support around Black, whose previous run on the main roster was regarded as underwhelming.
While he was known as Malakai Black during his years in AEW, it would be great to see what the former NXT Champion could do in WWE now that Triple H is at the helm of creative.
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4. Rusev
Another WWE star who moved on to AEW and is thought to be making his way back is Rusev (Miro).
Since there is history between the Bulgarian’s character in WWE and numerous storylines on the card, it would make sense to see Rusev pop up to make an interference or a save.
While rumors persist that Rusev will be back, it remains to be seen if he would be accompanied by his real-life wife Lana (CJ Perry) upon his return.
Whether or not he will move forward to be an evildoing heel is also unknown, but if he were to return at WrestleMania 41, he would surely receive a warm reception.
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3. Danhausen
Despite being a fan favorite in AEW, Danhausen hasn’t been seen there for quite some time – his last in-ring action in AEW was in December 2023.
While he did make a surprise appearance from beneath the ring at ROH Final Battle a year later in December 2024, he has since disappeared again.
Since NXT Stand & Deliver is set to host a match-up of Danhausen’s former AEW on-screen rivals Ethan Page and Ricky Saints, maybe there’s a spot for the ‘Very Nice, Very Evil’ star in NXT.
Danhausen delights fans and sells a lot of merchandise, whether or not you want to use ‘comedy wrestler’ in a negative sense, and there is still a lot of life (and money!) in this compelling character.
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2. Jeff Cobb
The only name on the list that wasn’t actually signed to AEW, Jeff Cobb still made numerous appearances in the company throughout the past few years.
The hard hitting New Japan Pro Wrestling star has not only been rumored to be WWE bound, but now he has made it official that he’s departed NJPW.
With The Rock having recently made an appearance on IG notably wearing a NJPW sleeveless shirt, and his Hawaiian lineage, speculation has run wild about the potential connection.
Many fans have seemingly settled on the theory that the shirt was a signal from the Final Boss to expect the arrival of Jeff Cobb.
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1. Mariah May
A week or two ago, this would have seemed like an entirely unlikely possibility, but suddenly it seems a lot more plausible.
Having disappeared from AEW television after the ‘Hollywood Ending’ of her saga with Timeless Toni Storm, rumors began swirling that Mariah May could be WWE bound.
The former AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May is thought to be contracted with AEW until later in 2025, but there has been no official comment.
With her in-ring experience and clearly compelling character work, Mariah May would be an absolute force in WWE, and if the timing lined up, she would be an iconic surprise at WrestleMania 41.
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