5 former AEW stars who have thrived in WWE in 2025

WWE had been the prime destination of professional wrestling and sports entertainment since the closure of WCW in 2001. However, Tony Khan and a group of top wrestlers started AEW in 2019 as a direct competition to the Stamford-based promotion. Since then, both companies have signed their respective talents, with major names leaving All Elite Wrestling for WWE over the last few years.

However, there have been only a handful of names who wrestled in AEW to thrive in WWE, especially this year, with remarkable victories and conduct. Here are the top five former AEW stars who have thrived with their tenure in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2025.

#5. Penta

The ever-captivating masked star, Penta, made his WWE debut in January 2025 on the second edition of Monday Night RAW on Netflix. While he was a tag team wrestler in AEW, Penta has thrived as a rising singles star in the global juggernaut, consistently impressing the audience every week. With the luchador making a considerable impact in his first year in the company, the future looks extremely bright for Penta moving forward.

#4. Blake Monroe

After making her mark in AEW for over two years, Mariah May appeared in WWE NXT in June 2025 and signed with the promotion, under the ring name, Blake Monroe. The Glamour garnered the attention of the fans within a short span of time with her persona, charisma, and in-ring acumen. Moreover, she cemented her rise with a victory over Zaria, who wrestled on behalf of her injured partner, Sol Ruca, at Halloween Havoc 2025 to win the NXT Women's North American Championship.

#3. Ricky Saints

Ricky Starks rose to prominence during his stint in AEW, but had been kept on the sidelines for almost a year. After being released from his contract, he signed with WWE and made his NXT debut in February 2025, adopting a new ring name, Ricky Saints. He quickly ascended to the top of the developmental territory, firstly winning the NXT North American Championship from Shawn Spears, two months after his debut, and later became the NXT Champion by dethroning Oba Femi at No Mercy, having one of the best tenures in the company.

#2. Jade Cargill

AEW became the proving ground for the rise of Jade Cargill, which led to her signing with WWE in 2023 and her eventual debut in 2024. While The Storm became a top fixture on SmackDown and even became a two-time Women's Tag Team Champion, she had not realised her full potential. However, the year 2025 saw her compete in main event matches for the Women's Championship. She finally succeeded in her quest after a shocking heel turn by defeating Tiffany Stratton and becoming the new champion at the November edition of Saturday Night's Main Event.

#1. CM Punk

After being terminated from AEW due to his real-life backstage fight with Jack Perry, CM Punk shocked the world by returning to WWE in 2023. While he had to sit out for half of 2024 due to injury, Punk had a major resurgence as 2025 began. The Best in the World fulfilled his lifelong dream of main-eventing WrestleMania this year. He even rose to the top of the mountain after more than a decade by defeating Jey Uso at the November edition of Saturday Night's Main Event to become the World Heavyweight Champion.