Published: 3 minutes ago by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: 7 hours ago by Dave Adamson
Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.
AEW
Ilja Dragunov is #AllElite, having made his official debut at AEW WrestleDream, joining twenty-four other stars who have signed this year.
Dragunov parted ways with WWE earlier this year, with speculation that he was AEW bound rapidly emerging. The speculation turned to fact at WrestleDream, with the star making his debut after a short run of teases.
The former WWE star is one of a twenty-five signings for AEW, including returning stars, in 2026 so far:
Andrade El Idolo
2026 kicked off with the return of Andrade El Idolo.
Andrade left WWE in September of last year and would return to AEW on the sixth anniversary episode of Dynamite in October, only to disappear again due to a reported WWE non-compete clause.
Jake Doyle
Known on the independent wrestling scene as Jake Something, January would also see the signing of the star now known as Jake Doyle.
The star had exited TNA Wrestling after his contract expired, landing in AEW shortly thereafter.
Persephone
Having made her ROH debut in June 2025, January would see Persephone sign with AEW, enjoying a dual contract with CMLL.
The current TBS Champion, the star has seen interest from WWE when her AEW & CMLL contract expires.
Hechicero
Alongside Persephone, Hechicero was also confirmed to have signed a dual contract with AEW and CMLL, with Tony Khan breaking the news on Twitter. This update came after a report in July of last year that the Mexican star was under contract.
Mascara Dorada
The third Mexican star to be revealed as #AllElite by Tony Khan in January was Máscara Dorada, the second star to use that name and not to be confused with his predecessor, known as Gran Metalik in WWE.
Zayda Steel
January was a busy month for AEW signings, with Zayda Steel being confirmed as being under contract following her debut match on Collision.
Jordan Oliver & Alec Price
Still in January, Jordan Oliver and Alec Price, both standouts on the independent scene, signed with AEW, with MJF being the one to share that news.
Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa parted ways with WWE in late January after his contract expired, making a decision to not renew it. He would debut on January 28, becoming TNT Champion, and losing it to Kyle Fletcher eleven days later.
The Rascalz
Former TNA Wrestling stars Dezmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz, Trey Miguel and Myron Reed signed with AEW in January.
For Miguel, his tenure would end mere days later, with the star being released from his AEW contract.
Lena Kross
Grand Slam Australia in February saw Lena Kross make a return to AEW as a contracted star.
Teamed with Megan Bayne as Divine Dominion, the pair held the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship until All In.
The Dogs
David Finlay, Clark Connors and Gabe Kidd all signed with AEW in March, with the Bullet Club: War Dogs members being repackaged as The Dogs.
The Dogs have held the AEW World Trios Championship, with Kidd also being a serving member of DeathRiders.
Blake Christian
The current ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion (alongside Jay Lethal & Lee Johnson), Blake Christian signed with AEW in March.
Mistico
With multiple AEW and ROH appearances to his name, Mistico officially became #AllElite after Revolution in March, teaming with JetSpeed to become World Trios Champions.
Mick Foley
Having made the “difficult decision” to part ways with WWE, Mick Foley would sign with AEW in May, joining the buy-in show for Double or Nothing as a co-host.
Motor City Machine Guns
Released from their WWE contracts in April of this year, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin would debut in AEW on July 30, with their first match taking place in September.
The New Level
Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods had a storied career in WWE that came to an end with reports of a massive pay cut being on the table.
The stars made their debut at AEW All In: London in August of this year, being rebranded as New Level under the names Kofi & Austin Creed, where they now team with Swerve Strickland and held the World Trios Championship.
Dani Luna
Making her AEW debut at All Out, Dani Luna’s career has seen her under contract in WWE and TNA Wrestling, with the star being a former (and two-time) Knockouts World Tag Team Champion.
Ilja Dragunov
The most recent signing, the former WWE star parted ways with the company in August, opting to not renew his contract.
He is set to have his first AEW match on the October 21 episode of Dynamite.
More names to follow?
During the AEW WrestleDream post-show media scrum, Tony Khan noted that he had an interest in Kairi Sane as a free agent, although would not be drawn beyond that stance. Fightful Select has reported that there have been “light discussions“, though the former WWE star is yet to sign.
As 2026 closes, there’s opportunity for more stars from the independent scene, WWE, TNA Wrestling or other televised companies to make their debut, although eyes should perhaps be on January next year, given the influx of talent fans witnessed at the start of this year.
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