10 Wrestlers You Didn't Know Were In NXT AND AEW
From Full Sail to Full Gear.
Although NXT and AEW are supposedly embroiled in a bitter war (albeit one whose battle lines are becoming increasingly blurry as the two shows shift around the television schedule), there is, in an inversion of one of those nonsense idioms that makes little sense, a surprising amount of love lost between the two sets of soldiers.
Which is to say the companies may be abstractly opposed, but the actual individuals - bar a few notable exceptions in high command - are not. And this is not particularly hard to explain: WWE being the only circus in town for such a long time means that a sizeable proportion of their new rival's roster have previously passed through the 'enemy's doors. Friendships don't die just because you've switched uniform. Even a high profile Benedict Arnold like Jon Moxley stayed sweet with most of his ex-colleagues - not least his wife!
That the aforementioned, as well as other ex-WWE alumni now based in Jacksonville such as Miro, FTR, Matt Cardona, Brodie Lee and PAC, have all posted star ratings in Full Sail doesn't demand a raised eyebrow. But there are a few on AEW's roll call whose time with NXT is a little less easy to believe - such as a certain bubbly ex-champ, for example.
10. Ariane Andrew
After a four year sabbatical from the industry, Ariane Andrew - formerly known by the mononym Cameron - made a decidedly low-key comeback in AEW this July, casually revealing herself as Nyla Rose's purple pick in the Deadly Draw lottery. "I'm back!" she plainly stated, as though we'd been expecting her re-emergence any moment this past half decade or so.
The rustiness showed, mind: her and Rose promptly lost their Women's Tag Team Tournament first round tie to Tay Conti & Anna Jay.
Though the former Funkadactlyl wasn't necessarily known in WWE for her in-ring prowess- a run perhaps best remembered for her rhythmic partnership of gyrating King Hippo Brodus Clay (alongside a then, as now, criminally underutilised Naomi) - she made a number of Full Sail appearances towards its conclusion. Hoping to kickstart a moribund singles career, Cameron made the switch to NXT in November 2015. She had just three televised matches - including a defeat to the rampaging Asuka - before WWE let her go in May 2016.