AEW stars who left for WWE: Ranking the most —and least — successful jumps, from Danhausen to Cody Rhodes

Is the grass always greener on the other side? Not so when it comes to the world of pro-wrestling, where the past few weeks have provided a pointed reminder about the uneven fates of those who switch from AEW to WWE. On one hand, you have Danhausen, a comedy mid-carder who had pretty much disappeared from television during his time with Tony Khan’s promotion.

Yet after a surprise move to WWE, the face-painted one has suddenly become a shining star on “SmackDown,” even emerging as one of the top-three merch-sellers at this year’s WrestleMania. Contrast that with the fate of Aleister Black, the former AEW Trios Champion who made the switch back to WWE last year. Despite getting hype video packages and a nascent feud with Randy Orton, the martial artist-turned-wrestler was unceremoniously released from the company last week, along with his wife Zelina Vega.

Of the 17 names so far who have moved from AEW to WWE over the past five years, who are the least and most successful? Here’s our assessment of where they stand. Danhausen has plenty of new fanhausens already in his WWE run.

WWE via Getty Images Danhausen WWE debut: February 2026 Success rating: N/A (too early to tell) Sure, Danhausen is riding high right now, selling merchandise like nobody’s business and getting the crowds to shout his catchphrase. But given he’s only a few months into his WWE run, it still feels too quick to pass a firm judgement. Things can change quickly in pro-wrestling — particularly for novelty acts.