WWE roster cuts hit: Which stars could join ‘AEW’?

WWE roster cuts have accelerated under TKO ownership, releasing established names and developmental talent into free agency at a pace unseen since the early pandemic era. The September wave, capped by the October 1 availability of Sheamus, creates immediate opportunities for AEW to pick from a deeper pool than it has seen in years. Fans are already matching names to television slots and pay-per-view payoffs.

April wave set the tone

The April 24 purge after WrestleMania 42 cleared main-roster and developmental contracts alike. Wyatt Sicks, Motor City Machine Guns, Santos Escobar, Apollo Crews, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Kairi Sane, Zoey Stark, Alba Fyre, and Andre Chase were among those let go, bringing the year’s total past fifty names.

Salary compression drove the decisions. Several veterans on two-to-three-million-dollar deals declined restructured offers, while lower-card talent were simply non-renewed. The result was an unusually large group of available wrestlers whose non-compete clauses began to expire in July.

AEW responded quickly. Motor City Machine Guns debuted on the July 2 episode of Dynamite, while New Level (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) were inserted into the Trios title picture within weeks of signing. The pattern signaled that Tony Khan would continue to treat WWE releases as ready-made story accelerators.

September developmental group enters play

On September 4 and 5, ten NXT-affiliated talents received 30-day releases, the shortest window in recent memory. Jasper Troy, Wendy Choo, Adriana Rizzo, Zena Sterling, Anya Rune, Braxton Cole, PJ Vasa, referee Gary Wilson, Ellen Akesson, and Marcus Brown are now free to negotiate elsewhere.

Jasper Troy, the LFG Season 1 winner and former WWE Speed Champion, posted a “30 Days” graphic with a black heart emoji the same night. Wendy Choo, a twelve-year veteran with Mae Young Classic pedigree, updated her socials with cryptic location tags that fans interpreted as scouting trips.

AEW’s scouting team has already contacted several of the released developmental names, according to Fightful Select. The promotion’s tag division, still thin after injuries, could absorb Braxton Cole and PJ Vasa as a ready-made tandem, while Wendy Choo’s experience positions her for the TBS title picture.

Sheamus becomes the marquee name

Sheamus declined a restructured deal in late August and will officially hit free agency on October 1. The four-time world champion has not wrestled since late 2025, but his market value remains high because of mainstream recognition and a history of marquee matches.

AEW has never hidden its interest. Khan praised the Irish star’s work ethic in a 2024 interview, and talent relations quietly floated a multi-year offer last spring. Sheamus’s past comments about wanting fresh opponents align with the promotion’s current emphasis on interpromotional dream matches.

His arrival would shift television dynamics immediately. Creative has teased a program with Jon Moxley that could headline a winter pay-per-view, while pairing him with Claudio Castagnoli would revive an old ROH storyline for a new audience. Merchandise projections already show a spike in retro “Celtic Warrior” searches.

Kairi Sane weighs her options

Kairi Sane’s April release triggered one of the louder social-media campaigns of the year, with the hashtag “#WeWantKairi” trending for three straight days. She has remained quiet publicly but has been in reported discussions with AEW since July.

Her high-flying style and prior success in Japan make her a natural fit for the women’s division, which has leaned toward technical matches in recent months. An angle pairing her with Mina Shirakawa could replicate the successful 2023 formula that elevated both performers.

Contract length remains the sticking point. Sane is seeking a shorter deal that allows flexibility for Japanese dates, while AEW prefers multi-year commitments. Negotiations are expected to resume after her non-compete expires in mid-October.

Ilja Dragunov sets debut timeline

Ilja Dragunov’s contract expired without a 90-day non-compete, making him available the moment he signed. Khan publicly called him a “tremendous wrestler,” and internal creative documents list him for the November pay-per-view cycle.

AEW plans to position Dragunov as an immediate title contender. A program with Orange Cassidy has already been discussed internally, leveraging Cassidy’s comedy against Dragunov’s intensity for quick character contrast.

Merchandise and ticket packages tied to his debut are already in production. The promotion rarely invests in advance assets without a signed contract, suggesting the deal is essentially complete.

Tag-team market stays active

AEW’s tag division absorbed the Motor City Machine Guns and New Level in rapid succession, yet injuries have thinned the roster again. The September developmental releases include two teams viewed as low-risk, high-reward additions.

Braxton Cole and PJ Vasa worked as a tandem in NXT dark matches and have already filmed a vignette for AEW’s YouTube channel. Their athletic style mirrors the current pace of Collision tapings, where shorter matches dominate the undercard.

Industry analysts note that AEW’s new television deal includes performance incentives tied to tag-team ratings. Signing two more duos before the November sweeps period would satisfy that clause without additional development costs.

Salary dynamics shape decisions

Many of the released talents earned mid-six-figure salaries under WWE’s old structure. AEW has offered lower base guarantees but sweetened packages with pay-per-view bonuses and international touring revenue. The gap narrows when talent factor in taxes and travel.

Developmental signees face a steeper adjustment. Their prior contracts hovered around $80,000, so AEW’s standard $120,000 floor represents an increase. Agents for Jasper Troy and Wendy Choo have already used that leverage in preliminary talks.

TKO’s cost-cutting has inadvertently compressed the market. Released wrestlers now compare offers side-by-side rather than negotiating from a single suitor, giving AEW a rare window to land names previously priced out of reach.

Creative implications for television

AEW’s booking team has mapped multiple scenarios depending on which names sign. A Sheamus arrival would accelerate the winter title picture, while Kairi Sane’s presence could stabilize the women’s division through February.

Dragunov’s debut offers the most immediate upside. His match with Cassidy would headline a November episode of Dynamite, providing a high-work-rate anchor before the December pay-per-view cycle begins.

Producers are also eyeing the developmental signees for Dark tapings in October. Quick victories would establish them before they appear on the main shows, a strategy that worked for previous WWE imports such as Buddy Matthews.

Non-compete calendar dictates pace

The staggered expirations create a rolling window rather than a single feeding frenzy. Sheamus hits the market October 1, Sane mid-month, and the developmental group already cleared. Agents are timing announcements to maximize leverage across both promotions.

AEW has reserved television time in early November for at least two debut segments. The slots are flexible, allowing creative to pivot if negotiations drag or if another promotion enters the bidding.

Industry trackers expect at least four more names to surface before the end of the year. Each signing resets the conversation about which promotion holds the talent advantage heading into 2027.

Next steps for available talent

Sheamus, Kairi Sane, and the September developmental group now control their calendars. AEW has positioned itself as the most aggressive suitor, but offers from TNA and New Japan remain on the table for wrestlers seeking shorter or international commitments.

The next four weeks will determine whether AEW converts the current WWE roster cuts into a sustained roster upgrade or simply another cycle of short-term additions. For the released talent, the market has rarely been this open.