10 Wrestlers Who Turned Down AEW

CM Punk, Edge, Kota Ibushi and those other names who have opted against becoming #AllElite.

by Andrew Pollard
CM Punk AEW
AEW/WWE

At present, some would argue that All Elite Wrestling is the very best wrestling promotion on the planet.

Whether you love the product or hate it, it's impossible to not take notice of the insanely passionate fanbase Tony Khan's company has amassed in its relatively short lifespan. In just over a year, AEW has become a go-to promotion for both fans and wrestlers alike - with so many exceedingly keen to watch or compete for Khan's organisation.

The fact that so many wrestlers are keen to grab Tony's attention says a lot about not only AEW, but also about long-time industry leader and monopoliser WWE. Talent has seen how Vince McMahon's sports entertainment juggernaut has handled things over the years, and now WWE isn't quite the 'be all, end all' it once was.

Still, there are those talents who have opted against penning a deal to become All Elite - whether that was to head to WWE or remain elsewhere.

On that front, then, here are ten such wrestlers who have had AEW interest, yet have ultimately decided to say thanks but no thanks to Tony Khan and his crew.

10. Nick Aldis

CM Punk AEW
NWA

Of all the wrestlers who have been hit across these crazy last 12 months, there's an argument to be made that NWA Worlds Champion Nick Aldis is one of those to have been hit hardest.

This last year has seen Billy Corgan's National Wrestling Alliance hold off on any Powerrr TV tapings, and Aldis has only been able to compete four times since stepping in a Ring of Honor ring back in February 2020. And while the main NWA programming has been on hiatus, the former TNA World Heavyweight Champion has spoken openly about how he has previously had an offer on the table from AEW.

Speaking on Konnan's Keepin' it 100 podcast last October, Aldis confirmed that Tony Khan reached out to him in early 2019 to offer him a spot with AEW.

For Aldis, he wanted to be able to work NWA shows if he signed with AEW, and he'd have required a significant financial offer to have completely walked away from the NWA. As such, he opted to turn down becoming All Elite in order to remain as the figurehead of Corgan's promotion.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.