Fantasy WWE and AEW Trade Ideas to Shake Up Rosters

Despite all of the excitement surrounding WWE and All Elite Wrestling at the moment, both rosters are in dire need of a significant shake-up.

The annual WWE draft does a decent job of injecting new life into SmackDown and Raw, but several Superstars have switched brands enough times to the point where they no longer feel fresh under the company's banner regardless of where they're wrestling.

In AEW, the lack of a brand split causes countless names to get lost in the shuffle and be relegated to Rampage and Collision without much direction. Likewise, others on the roster have grown stagnant because of their booking and could use a change of scenery.

A Forbidden Door-esque event pitting top talents the two promotions against each other has been fantasized about for years, but a working relationship that allows WWE and AEW to exchange certain stars when necessary could be mutually beneficial.

Jade Cargill, CM Punk and Ethan Page have all done exceptionally well in WWE since making the jump, while Adam Copeland and Mercedes Moné also found immediate success upon leaving WWE for AEW.

WWE and AEW agreeing to trade talent is far from a realistic scenario, but in an alternate timeline where it was possible, these are the names who would have most to gain from swapping promotions right now—if only temporarily.

At one point in time, Austin Theory was believed to be a future world champion in WWE. He still possesses all the tools necessary to get to that next level, but his booking has suffered considerably in the last two years and thus he has yet to live up to his full potential.

He currently finds himself in a fledgling tag team with Grayson Waller, and although it's clear they're headed for a split with Theory presumably going babyface, the breakup couldn't come soon enough. Plus, there are no guarantees he'll get over in that role.

Ricky Starks, on the other hand, arguably has more upside and has accomplished a great deal during his time in AEW. Unfortunately, he's been off television since the spring and there's been zero indication he'll be brought back anytime soon.

Theory is a prototypical WWE Superstar through and through, but a stint in AEW could force him to expand his skill set and come into his own as a character, something he has struggled to do in WWE.

Starks is also tailor-made for the WWE system and has a better chance of getting over with the audience as a fan favorite from the get-go. He just needs the opportunity.

Saraya's AEW run has left a lot to be desired, to say the least.

In late 2022, she returned to the ring follow a neck injury that forced her into an early retirement nearly five years prior. Expectations were sky-high for her in AEW after everything she did to elevate women's wrestling in the mid-2010s, yet she has never truly been able to live up to the hype.

The Outcasts failed to be the boost the women's division needed in early 2023 and her reign as AEW women's world champion was short-lived. WWE is where she had most success, so perhaps she'd be better off going back.

Saraya has at least had plenty of television time in AEW, but Tegan Nox has been criminally underutilized and sidelined from WWE TV for the past five months. She's done nothing of note since returning to the company two years ago and recently expressed her frustration on social media.

AEW might recognize the tremendous talent that Nox has better than WWE has, and a return home for Saraya would be a welcome change of pace for her as well.

It's been years since Apollo Crews was last "let loose," but many fans seem to have forgotten what he's capable of inside the squared circle.

Crews was—and still is—a supremely skilled performer who was a victim of being called up from NXT too quickly in 2016. He went on to win the United States and intercontinental titles in the years that followed, but he's primarily been treated as an afterthought on the main roster.

A case can also be made for him being a better fit in AEW where his in-ring ability can do the talking for him. It's not as if his current alliance with Baron Corbin is getting him far on SmackDown.

Hook's situation is different in that he doesn't have anywhere near the amount of experience Crews does, but he needs the proper amenities to improve and progress. He's created a strong base in AEW, but fighting for the FTW Championship will only do him so much good.

A stint in NXT would allow him to develop into the main event star he's destined to be.

From being one of the most over acts in AEW to disappearing from programming completely, Wardlow's fall from grace in the last two years has been frustrating for fans.

The former TNT champion received a renewed push as part of The Undisputed Kingdom at the onset of 2024, but he hasn't wrestled a single match since unsuccessfully challenging Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship in March.

There's been nothing to suggest he's dealing with an injury, leaving the audience to assume the powers-that-be simply have nothing do him creatively at the moment. In other words, his contract couldn't expire soon enough.

For his size and sheer strength alone, Wardlow in WWE would seem to be a slam dunk, just as Shinsuke Nakamura would be in AEW. Although he has much more mileage, the latter's natural charisma makes him a perennial fan favorite—as well as an excellent heel as seen last fall.

The King of Strong Style was drafted back to SmackDown in April but has only wrestled live event matches since then. However, his series of contests with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes within the last year proved he can still hang at a high level and deserves a consistent spot on the show.

Nakamura, 44, has battled a majority of WWE's current roster and has little left to accomplish, whereas there are many fresh and fun matchups he could have in AEW as he enters the twilight of his full-time career.

PWInsider Elite reported this week that Asuka has inked a new long-term deal with WWE, so while she isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future, a short excursion of sorts in AEW would be spectacular to see and give her the fresh coat of paint she desperately needs.

She'll have some buzz upon her eventual return after being out with an injury for a few months, but it doesn't change how she's done everything there is to do in WWE.

Damage CTRL can continue to exist without her and not miss a beat, but a brief run in AEW would at least be something new for the multi-time champion.

The AEW women's division is firing on all cylinders these days, and getting The Empress of Tomorrow in the mix would make matters all the more thrilling.

Thunder Rosa has been overshadowed by most of the debuting and returning stars this year, so giving her Asuka's spot in WWE would be a win-win.

La Mera Mera was a great get for AEW in 2021 and she held the AEW Women's World Championship for a solid stretch in 2022, but a long layoff due to injury hindered her momentum. She and Deonna Purrazzo had a stellar series of matches over the summer, but now she's left spinning her wheels.

Rosa would excel under the bright lights of Raw or SmackDown.

Both WWE and AEW's tag team divisions lack depth these days, but trading one pairing for another could make a world of difference.

Private Party looked to be one of the pillar's of the AEW tag scene early on when they upset The Young Bucks on the second-ever episode of Dynamite. The promotion did nothing to capitalize on that win, though, causing them to fade into obscurity soon after.

Marq Quen's injuries haven't helped their cause, but by and large, the company hasn't had the slightest clue what to do with them whenever they've been healthy and active.

Raw and SmackDown could use more legitimate teams right now, and they'd be an outstanding addition to either brand.

Xavier Woods teasing tension with Kofi Kingston as of late is easily the most intriguing storyline The New Day have had in ages, but once it runs its course and they (predictably) remain a unit, there won't be any teams for them to work with that they haven't already faced.

They've held the tag titles countless times over (including in NXT) and need new ground and goals to conquer, which is why a stint in AEW and possible programs with the Bucks, FTR, The Acclaimed and others would do wonders for the decorated duo.

When AJ Styles and Chris Jericho first feuded on the road to WrestleMania in 2016, it was the perfect program for both guys at that point in time.

Styles had just arrived in WWE and needed to establish himself against a fellow seasoned vet, while Jericho did his strongest work against newer names who brought the best out of him in the ring.

It was that series of matches that simultaneously launched Styles into another level of stardom in WWE and revitalized Jericho's career. The former has remained with WWE since then as a mainstay in the main event scene and the latter left soon after to help form AEW.

Almost a decade later, both modern-day legends would benefit from swapping spots.

Styles hasn't been featured on WWE TV since losing to Cody Rhodes at Clash at the Castle in June and the reason for his absence is unknown. In AEW, there'd be no shortage of exciting storylines and matches he can have.

Jericho's shtick as The Learning Tree has ruined any goodwill he had with the audience. An extended break from television would be ideal, but returning to WWE for one more run could be equally rewarding depending on how he's used.

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.