Ranking The WWE, AEW Stars Most Likely to Jump Ship to Rival Company in 2024

CM Punk, Jade Cargill, Adam Copeland and Roderick Strong were among the many WWE and All Elite Wrestling stars to swap companies in 2023, setting the stage for what could be an even wilder 2024.

The wrestling landscape is as exciting and as unpredictable as it's ever been, or at least since the Attitude Era 25 years ago. That was the unprecedented period that saw countless competitors popping up in opposing promotions, making it almost impossible to predict what would happen next.

WWE and AEW both having hot products right now allows for similar situations to happen.

Punk's abrupt departure from AEW led to him resurfacing at WWE Survivor Series less than three months later. Meanwhile, Cargill and Copeland quietly joined free agency and wasted no time in putting pen to paper with the rival company.

Andrade, who just wrapped up his AEW run with a loss to Miro at the Worlds Ends pay-per-view, could be back in WWE as early as the Royal Rumble on January 27. All of these moves are fun for fans to follow.

With several more contracts reportedly expiring in the coming months, these are the WWE and AEW wrestlers most likely to jump ship this year.

On the surface, Ricochet doesn't appear to be the strongest candidate to leave WWE considering his fiancée—Raw announcer Samantha Irvin—works there as well and there have been no recent indications he's unhappy with his lot in the company.

However, the 35-year-old could have a career-altering decision to make this year that sees him explore other options and potentially join AEW.

Per Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Jeremy Lambert of Fightful) in January 2021, Ricochet's WWE deal is set to expire this summer. He's enjoyed some success on the main roster since 2019 as a United States and intercontinental champion, but by and large, he hasn't been handled as well as some would've hoped.

There was a time when he was one of the hottest commodities in wrestling because of the amazing feats he was capable of inside the squared circle. These days, he's ice-cold and hasn't wrestled a televised match since Nov. 6.

Although he's been booked better under Triple H than Vince McMahon, he may feel like much more of an attraction than he does. Of course, AEW already employs its fair share of aerial artists, but the change of scenery for Ricochet could do wonders, not to mention the many thrilling matches that would stem from such a move.

Keith Lee's AEW run can't be described as anything other than underwhelming.

The company's creative direction for him isn't entirely to blame, either.

Lee noted in a Twitter/X post ahead of Worlds End that he has been working through an injury since September, which explains why he has been absent from TV for months:

The Limitless One signed with AEW in early 2022 after being released from WWE the previous November. His pairing with Swerve Strickland involved a solid tag team title run and was set to culminate in a major singles match before circumstances caused plans to change.

Once Lee is cleared to compete, nothing is stopping AEW from finally using him to his full potential, but he could also benefit from having his slate wiped clean again and starting from scratch in WWE, depending on his contract's expiration date.

He was never given a fair shake on the WWE main roster. Vince McMahon failed him on multiple occasions after being booked like a breakout star in NXT by Triple H, who's now calling the shots on SmackDown and Raw.

WWE is also where his wife, Michin, works and that could also factor into his decision.

Mike Johnson of PWInsider originally reported over WrestleMania 39 weekend last year that Drew McIntyre's contract was nearing its end. The latest word from PWInsider is that he still hasn't signed a new deal as of January 8.

All signs point to him entering free agency once his WWE contract expires, if only to take some well-deserved time off from the road. From there, it's unknown where he intends to spend the next leg of his career.

WWE would be the most likely landing spot with that being his home since 2017 and where he became a main event player, but a jump to AEW would surely send the message that WWE can't take any of its talents for granted.

If McIntyre is contract-free by the summer, an appearance at AEW's All In at Wembley Stadium in London would be an emphatic way for him to debut. Whether he'd be lost in the shuffle is a whole other discussion, but theoretically, signing with AEW could result in WWE making him an even more lucrative offer to return down the road.

The Scottish Warrior may be a Raw regular involved in high-profile programs at the moment, but that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't eyeing the exit and a possible run in AEW.

With all the focus for the last year being on Drew McIntyre's contractual status, fans seem to forgotten that Sheamus' deal is also expiring sometime in 2024, per an October report from Fightful.

The Celtic Warrior has been with WWE for so long that the idea of him going anywhere else is almost unfathomable, but short of capturing the Intercontinental Championship, he's practically done it all throughout his tenure.

That's in addition to the public criticisms he's had of his booking in recent years, specifically with how he felt the company dropped the ball with his white-hot momentum in late 2022 and with The Brawling Brutes during last year's WrestleMania season.

All of that could amount to him calling it quits and choosing to sign with AEW when he's contractually able to.

Between Claudio Castagnoli, Miro and Adam Copeland, the Irishman has plenty of friends who work for the rival promotion, and his hard-hitting style would be a welcome addition to the roster.

As he nears 46, the multi-time world champion's next contract could be his last, and AEW would be foolish to not recognize the value and wealth of experience and knowledge he'd bring to its locker room.

He may not be officially considered among AEW's "four pillars," but an argument can be made that Ricky Starks is one of the best homegrown talents in the company's short history.

The 33-year-old worked his way through the ranks as a member of Team Taz, holding the FTW Championship for a year, winning the 2023 men's Owen Hart Cup and clinching the AEW World Tag Team Championship with Big Bill.

Despite all of that, many fans still feel he's underutilized by AEW.

Starks consistently shines on the microphone and makes the most of every opportunity he's given in the ring with his recent outings against CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, MJF and Chris Jericho being prime examples.

He can bring that untapped potential to WWE later this year depending on the nature of his current contract, while having significant supporters in CM Punk and Cody Rhodes will only help his cause behind the scenes.

There's no guarantee Starks will be any higher up on the card in WWE (his smaller stature could be a detriment to him on the main roster), but it's a risk worth taking if it means escaping AEW midcard purgatory.

Similar to Keith Lee and Andrade El Idolo, Malakai Black is another former WWE star who hasn't quite panned out in AEW up to this point.

That isn't to say the 38-year-old can't eventually reach the main event level, but we're approaching the third anniversary of his arrival and he isn't any better off now than he was then. If anything, he's cooled off considerably due to mediocre booking and inconsistent appearances.

His run included a six-month reign as AEW world trios champion in 2023, but he hasn't accomplished much else during his stint with the company and there's no real reason why. He also hasn't wrestled a televised singles match since June 2022, again without explanation.

All of that coupled with his wife, Zelina Vega, being a member of the SmackDown roster makes a WWE return a no-brainer for him.

If Black signed a three-year deal with AEW in the summer of 2021—and if additional time isn't added for any injury layoffs he may have had—then he could be back before the year is through.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.