AEW Wrestlers You Didn't Know Have History In WWE

It’s impossible for any wrestling company to not be affected by WWE, especially the majors like All Elite Wrestling. As fans know, AEW has enjoyed the presence of many high-profile ex-WWE stars like Jon Moxley, Chris Jericho, Ruby Soho, CM Punk, and countless others, as well as performers who had lesser-known stints in WWE like Tay Conti.

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Then there are other AEW roster members that have connections to WWE that many have forgotten about or never even noticed. Some of the below wrestlers made multiple appearances in squash matches or as extras, while others were actually signed to WWE developmental for a spell.

10 QT Marshall

Before becoming a part of AEW as an on-screen performer and a backstage producer, Factory leader QT Marshall was likely best known to fans for his time in Ring of Honor, where he performed numerous times throughout the 2010s. But he also wrestled a handful of squash matches on NXT from 2013 to 2017, losing to Aiden English, The Ascension, Baron Corbin, and Heavy Machinery. Never billed as QT Marshall, he worked under a variety of ring names: Michael Q. Laurie, Mike Cuellari, and Mike Marshall.

9 Nick Comoroto

A member of Marshall’s Factory, Nick Comoroto was actually a part of WWE developmental before showing up in AEW. In 2019, Comoroto signed with WWE, where he debuted on NXT under the ring name Nick Ogarelli. However, Comoroto never appeared on NXT television during his time in developmental, and was released in March 2020 amid WWE’s COVID-related layoffs. Seven months later, Comoroto debuted on AEW Dark in a losing effort against Darby Allin, and soon became a part of the Nightmare Family stable before breaking off with Marshall and company.

8 Ryan Nemeth

Nicknamed “The Hollywood Hunk,” Ryan Nemeth is one-fourth of the low-level but entertaining stable The Wingmen. Fans may be aware that he has a more famous brother in WWE star Dolph Ziggler, but it’s easy to forget that he also spent some time in WWE.

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After a stint in Ohio Valley Wrestling, Nemeth signed to WWE in 2011. Renamed Briley Pierce, Nemeth performed in Florida Championship Wrestling, where he held the Florida Tag Team Championship with Brad Maddox. By the time FCW evolved into NXT, Pierce worked as a backstage interviewer, and then had a few bouts on TV in 2013 just before his release.

7 Scorpio Sky

Before he showed up in AEW, Scorpio Sky had some experience with televised wrestling, appearing in MTV’s short-lived Wrestling Society X and in Impact Wrestling under the ring name Mason Andrews. However, fans might be more familiar with his work in WWE in 2012, despite never wrestling there. Instead, he portrayed a character named Harold in the classic anger management segments with Kane and Daniel Bryan, and would be routinely yelled at by the future Team Hell No.

6 Frankie Kazarian

Outside AEW, Frankie Kazarian is best known for his run in Impact Wrestling, where he started in 2003. Two years later, however, Kazarian signed to WWE, where he debuted on an episode of Velocity in July. After victories against Nunzio, Scotty 2 Hotty, Funaki, and Paul London, Frankie Kazarian asked for his release and abruptly left the company in August. Earlier in the 2000s, Kazarian wrestled a number of dark matches for the company, and two televised squashes on Jakked in 2001.

5 Luchasaurus

AEW’s resident dinosaur and Tag Team Champion alongside Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus had a run in WWE developmental lasting from 2012 through 2014 under the ring name Judas Devlin. Initially starting in FCW, Devlin made the transition to NXT, where he had one match on television, teaming with Scott Dawson (a.k.a. Dax Harwood) in a handicap match against Adrian Neville (a.k.a. PAC). After his 2014 release, the future Luchasaurus came out with allegations against WWE developmental head coach Bill DeMott, claiming that DeMott abused many of his trainees.

4 Kenny Omega

Given that Kenny Omega’s best known for wrestling in Japan for DDT and New Japan before joining up with AEW, it’s likely that many fans are unaware that the Best Bout Machine actually had a stint in WWE. After signing to WWE in 2005, Omega debuted in one of its developmental territories, Deep South Wrestling.

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Omega’s stint with DSW would last about a year and a few months and include bouts with future names like Heath Slater and Vladimir Kozlov. However, unhappy with the environment in developmental, Omega would request his release in 2006, eventually moving on to the American indies and Japan.

3 Alex Reynolds

A member of the Dark Order stable and a tag team specialist alongside partner John Silver, Alex Reynolds showed up in WWE in 2009, two years after his in-ring debut. His first bout would be on the revived ECW in 2009, losing to Vance Archer (now known as Lance Archer). It would be nearly eight years before his next televised match with the company, where he’d be beaten by Akira Tozawa in four seconds on an episode of 205 Live. In 2019 — about a month before his AEW debut — he’d actually team with John Silver in a squash match against Heavy Machinery on SmackDown.

2 Britt Baker

After a lackluster start with AEW as a babyface, Britt Baker enjoyed a heel turn in 2020 that would not only make her one of the most entertaining characters in the company, but would also lead to a 290-day reign with the Women’s World Championship. A few years before that, however, she had a few notable matches on WWE television. In 2016, she would take on Nia Jax in Jax’s debut match on Raw. Over two years later, she’d be taken out by Shayna Baszler in a very quick squash in NXT.

1 Christopher Daniels

Debuting in 1993, veteran Christopher Daniels has done pretty much everything in wrestling, including signing a developmental deal with WWE. Training with Dory Funk Jr., Daniels wrestled matches for WWE from 1998 to 2001, with televised bouts happening on Shotgun Saturday Night and Jakked. While he was mostly a jobber, Daniels did enjoy two shots at the Light Heavyweight Championship against Taka Michinoku and Jerry Lynn, and there are rumors that he was slated to be revealed as The Ministry of Darkness’ infamous “Higher Power.”