Making Predictions For 2024 Pro Wrestling Free Agents
Stars from both WWE and AEW are making moves now that they have a variety of options. Even smaller promotions in North America are capable of signing quality talent. Of course, AEW is becoming the second biggest promotion in North America. They have managed to give us quite a lot of great wrestlers. While very few were “homegrown” in AEW, as they were stars elsewhere first, AEW did give them a bigger platform. Now, there are pro wrestling free agents coming in 2024 that both promotions could benefit heavily from. That might include some of those AEW stars leaving.
2024 is a significant contract year in both AEW and WWE, with a variety of wrestler contracts expiring. Where will they end up? We’ll walk through free agents as best we can surmise and make a prediction on where these pro wrestling free agents will land.
We’ll use a variety of sources since these companies do not operate the way most professional sports leagues do.
Fightful has a pretty straightforward and comprehensive list of pro wrestling free agents for 2024. We”ll be going mostly off of those on this list.
What We Know So Far
Let’s also keep in mind that these contracts change all the time. The status of one deal is rocky today and solidified tomorrow. We’ll get some wrong, and it”s possible by the time you read this, some deals were already finished. We can’t factor into any analysis what the wrestlers want—home life, travel dates, and proximity to world championships all factor in.
Kevin Owens said that re-signing with WWE was fairly easy for him. He mentioned this during an interview with Ariel Helwani:
We have an incredible crew. And I”m talking not the wrestlers…the production crew, the people behind the scenes, there are amazing people here, and at the time, I remember I couldn”t imagine leaving and not seeing these people every week. Weirdly, I couldn”t imagine leaving these people behind and never seeing them again,” said Owens.
Again, we don’t know what is in the hearts of the men and women who decide they want to leave a company or stay. Is it the challenge of new opponents? Is it things like the crew of production people they work with every week? We’ll never know, so this is judging by what we see on TV and in the ring every week.
We’ll start with a few details. The following stars have recently signed new deals with the WWE:
- Bayley
- Rey Mysterio
- Dominik Mysterio
- Zelina Vega
- Charlotte Flair
The following wrestlers have had their contracts extended through 2024 due to injury. WWE can extend a contract to any wrestler to make up for time taken off for injury.
- Randy Orton
- Big E
- Kofi Kingston
- Xavier Woods
With that out of the way let’s get this started discussing where these prospective pro wrestling free agents will end up.
Becky Lynch
It’s pretty hard to imagine Becky Lynch on her way anywhere else, especially since WWE would be willing to pay her well to stay. She’s been clear in interviews that she wants to finish her career with the WWE. Her husband, Seth Rollins, is also up for a new deal this year and it would seem pretty crazy to us that she would end up in AEW. There’s no doubt that AEW has deep pockets and would be able to make a strong offer for Lynch.
She’d be a massive shot in the arm to the women’s division which had an uneven 2023. We don’t see Lynch making the jump. She has a book coming out in March 2024 and Lynch will want the promotional machine behind that release. She”s incredibly proud of what she helped build. While she could become one of the notable pro wrestling free agents of this year, WWE is likely to get her under a new deal before her current one ends.
Prediction: WWE
Seth Rollins
Like Lynch, Seth Rollins is in a great spot with WWE. He was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion ever since winning the title in 2023. It”s very likely he will hold it until at least WrestleMania 40. Which gives him one heck of a title run. It would be cool to fantasy book Will Ospreay vs. Tyler Black (his indie name) and other AEW stars though. Black vs Kenny Omega would be fun to see as well. Yet it seems that after 11 years with WWE, Rollins is satisfied with his position and likely wants to stay.
With WWE, he”s at the top of the card, constantly in the main event. He”s remained there during both heel and babyface runs too. He’s valuable in the eyes of Triple H and going to AEW doesn’t make a lot of sense. Something crazy would have to occur for him to jump. Of course, to be fair, anything is possible. It just seems unlikely he”d want to make such a dramatic jump.
Prediction: WWE
Cody Rhodes
The reports are that Cody Rhodes is up for a contract renewal and that there’s already an offer on the table. Other reports suggest it’s already done. Either way, we don’t see any world in which he jumps back to AEW. He came back to finish the story in WWE. That means winning the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship, and he won”t be stopped. Why would he leave before actually finishing that story? Plus, he”s now considered one of the top babyfaces in the WWE.
Going back to AEW or anywhere else, honestly, would be a step backward for him. When it comes to his contract, another thing to consider is that he missed time in 2022 due to a torn pectoral muscle. That forced him to miss a large chunk of the year, so his WWE deal would have likely frozen then. His contract would have been up roughly this summer. With the TKO Group wanting to keep all of their stars, it”s not shocking if he already signed a big extension.
Rhodes has proven that he is a top guy in the company and can be the face of WWE for the next several years. He has a Royal Rumble win in 2023 and the main event spot on Night #2 of WrestleMania already since his return. They’ve built him into a bigger star than when he got there. That said, he”s not going anywhere.
Prediction: WWE
MJF
It is possible MJF would make the jump? If you’ve listened to his interviews over the past few years he’s keeping options open. Of course, a lot of that talk happened during his heel run and MJF loves the kayfabe. Would MJF entertain the idea of WWE? It’s possible, but unlikely. He’s the top guy in AEW and the face of the company. He is clearly AEW”s biggest star that they, themselves, helped to create.
Yet when we talk about the big pro wrestling free agents of 2024, MJF is constantly at the top of the list of possible jumpers.
While WWE could provide him with great feuds and huge exposure, he wouldn’t be the top guy. At least, not for a while. He’d likely be a top 5 guy. To be fair, that is a great role, but if money is the same why not do another run as the face of AEW? Then, one can see where things are at in 2028/2029. If he hasn’t signed already, he’ll have options. However, don’t bet on seeing him in a WWE ring anytime soon.
Prediction: AEW
Drew McIntyre
We have trouble figuring out what Drew McIntyre will do. He was released from WWE in 2014 and made a name for himself on the independent scene. Since his return to WWE, he”s had a featured role in the company. Drew is a star and if you’re AEW you’d want to find every opportunity to bring him in. There isn’t a guy in their main event picture who looks like Drew. He has a great look and could be a huge part of selling tickets for the company for years to come.
This comes down to what Drew sees as the priority in his career. For some wrestlers, WWE “IS” the destination. That”s where they have always wanted to be and so anything else would feel like a step down. If Drew aspires to be at the top of the card constantly though, then going to AEW makes sense. He”d likely be a major star there from the moment he signed. Especially since his independent name still holds value.
For AEW this would be huge. Signing a main event guy from your rival company would make a big statement. If you can bring Drew in and treat him right, then it could open the door to free agents down the road. The only thing to worry about is AEW”s overly stacked roster. Would Drew end up facing the same issues he experiences in WWE today? That”s certainly possible. Therefore, Drew would have to consider if leaving is best. Even if it seems like the best choice in theory.
Prediction: AEW
Angelo Dawkins
Let’s be clear, Angelo Dawkins is legit. He”s an entertaining talker with a powerful move-set. People sleep on Dawkins because he’s labeled as the lesser half of the Street Profits. One might not be Shawn Michaels but that doesn”t make them a Marty Janetty type. Dawkins has, in our opinion, what it takes to be a singles title holder in WWE. If you’re Dawkins, you have to ask yourself what you think WWE thinks of you.
If they see a future champion then sticking around is good. A feud against Montez Ford to solidify things would be great, then they can build you from there. If you fear the company sees you as a mid-carder then getting a chance to show out in the ring in AEW would be a nice move. If not there, he could try out places like TNA, MLW, and even Japanese promotions.
We feel that WWE still holds Dawkins in high regard. If nothing else, they see him as an important half of one of the best tag teams they have right now. We don’t know if the future is as bright for Dawkins as it is for Montez Ford, but he’s not likely to go anywhere. The WWE deal will get done.
Prediction: WWE
Montez Ford
Montez Ford in AEW mixing it up as a singles star with the likes of MJF, Swerve Strickland, and Will Ospraey would be amazing. He’s a charismatic in-ring performer and one of the best mic workers around. We admit we’re a bit baffled by what the plan is for Ford. His performance in the WWE Elimination Chamber PLE was a breakout moment. His alliance with Bobby Lashley appeared to be a character reboot for him too.
The attempts to make him a heel haven’t quite worked out the way WWE Creative has hoped though. Other than getting booed for beating down Rey Mysterio it’s been cheers for the trio. That is because people do not really want to boo Ford, as fans like him too much.
The most obvious factor to consider, however, is Montez Ford”s real-life wife Bianca Belair.
She’s a WWE mega-star and one of the faces of the company, so it doesn’t appear she’d be jumping ship anytime soon. While stars can make it work in different companies, we’re doubtful that these two would do that. Montez is a star waiting for his shot and WWE sees that. It’s only a matter of time before he makes the top of the card. He’s not going anywhere. If he did decide to, he would be one of the biggest pro wrestling free agents on the market due to his potential alone.
Prediction: WWE
Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal is a long way from his WWE title run several years ago. Blink and you’d miss him. There isn’t a lot to say here. What are his options? He could stay in WWE where he would be unlikely to get the push he got years ago. He’s likely to be featured on house shows and lesser WWE programming. That’s not a knock at him but a picture of where he’s at.
It should be noted that WWE does see something in him. If not, they wouldn”t have let him challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on WWE RAW recently.
He could go to AEW if they wanted him, but in doing so…what does that world look like there? AEW has potential main eventers who many think aren’t getting the push they deserve. What do they do with Jinder? Push him past guys like Ricky Starks, Keith Lee, and more? No. It”s the same position in AEW for Mahal, just running the mid-card on lesser-watched shows. It”s also not as if Tony Khan is the biggest fan of Mahal either.
His best option, money aside, would be to try his hand at the independents. He could build up a bigger and better name for himself, similar to his former 3MB partner, Drew McIntyre. There’s no doubt that he could get a lot of work on the Indies, and have higher-profile matches than what he gets in WWE now.
Prediction: Independent Circuit
Ricochet
It feels clear that WWE under Triple H likes Ricochet more than Vince McMahon did. Triple H sees his talent and his ability to be a show-stopper in the ring. He had a very high-profile match against Logan Paul at WWE SummerSlam last year, keep in mind. He also found himself in a supporting role in the Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins feud this past fall. Despite not carrying a title like he has in the past it feels like his status was elevated recently.
You have to wonder how long this can last for him. What’s the ceiling for Ricochet in the WWE? Do they think of him as a future World Heavyweight Champion? Is he a performer positioned for high-profile matches and an IC title run again?
The lure of AEW for a guy like Ricochet is appealing. AEW’s biggest strength is its in-ring work. They have much less emphasis on the ability to cut a promo and far more interest in putting on a high-caliber match. Ricochet, never known as a great promo, could do well in an environment where he’s asked to do what he is truly special at.
Ricochet working with AEW performers with ample time and space is too exciting to ignore. This is a close call and usually, a tie tends to go to the current company but let’s think differently.
We should not that regardless of the prediction, WWE is going to do its best to keep him on the roster.
Prediction: AEW
Alexa Bliss
You’ll have to take this whole line with a grain of salt. However, Alexa Bliss” contract was set to expire at the end of 2023 but the WWE will tack on time due to her pregnancy absence (at least nine months). This one is tough for us because we’re not sure what she might want to do. She’s a mother now, has a big-time musician for a husband, and she has acting aspirations. Clearly, Little Miss Bliss is talented outside of wrestling.
Is it possible she doesn’t renew with WWE and instead leaves the wrestling for the time being?
She’s been with the company for more than a decade when you count her developmental time. Bliss is also very accomplished in her time with WWE, as she has been a five-time WWE Women’s Champion.
We know that in the world of professional wrestling, there is no such thing as forever. If Bliss left and got the itch, in a few years, she could come back. There’s no question WWE would welcome it.
What we don’t know is what Alexa Bliss wants. Is she missing the ring time right now? Does she miss the thrill of the live audience? Is she already thinking about her next move? It’s tough to say. However, if we’re going with our gut, it says that this could be the end for her…for now. Of course, we also have to consider that many women wrestle after having children these days. Just look at Becky Lynch as an example of this.
Does Bliss feel this serious about her professional wrestling career? We”re not so certain. Would she become one of those pro wrestling free agents who pit AEW against WWE? We don”t think so.
Prediction: No contract renewal/temporary retirement
Sheamus
The brawling brute has had a late-career resurgence. Sheamus” feud with Gunther showed he can put on “banger after banger after banger after banger.” He’s well-liked by the WWE audience and has been a WWE lifer. Plus, the locker room seems to love the guy. Just look at his YouTube Channel to see that. One would not get that many WWE Superstars to appear on his show, all to work out with the Celtic Warrior, if they did not like him at all.
Could he take leave from WWE and head out for greener pastures? We don’t think so. He’s in a good spot. Plus, he has great opponents to work with. Sheamus also has a good relationship with Triple H. In fact, the two have been relatively close since very early in his main roster career. You’d have to ask yourself why he’d leave to go anywhere else. If Sheamus ever did leave, it would likely be to retire. Not to go to another promotion.
However, we still must consider the possibility. Pro wrestling free agents like Sheamus, since he technically had the same name on the Indies, could go anywhere and still keep star power. That is pretty important.
Prediction: WWE
Shawn Spears
The former WWE superstar known as Ty Dillinger left WWE for the upstart AEW. Who could blame him? It was clear that once Shawn Spears appeared on the main roster, he didn’t have a big future with the company’s creative at that time.
AEW proved to be a better role for him. He had a high-profile feud with Cody Rhodes (where he became “the chairman”) to start but his run never really got started in WWE. Spears was absent from AEW programming for the last couple of years. As of January 1, he’s been free to go wherever he wants.
In fact, he announced on Twitter that he was leaving AEW. One has to ask, does he end up back in WWE? There are a few things to consider.
First, WWE has to want him and have a plan for him. He’s a good in-ring worker but WWE can’t bring everyone back. Second, in real life he and his wife, Cassie Lee (Peyton Royce in WWE), are expecting their second child. Financials aside, it makes sense for Spears to take time away and enjoy fatherhood to its fullest. We don’t know what he wants to do but touring the indies and putting on great matches would be a nice career path.
Spears can generate some buzz and find his way back to a big promotion. Monetarily speaking too, it also makes sense for him to go back to WWE if the opportunity is there to do so. Very few places can offer the type of money WWE can for his services.
Prediction: Independents
Deonna Purrazzo
The former TNA Knockouts Champion is currently on the open market. Deonna Purrazzo is a pro and has been at it for a long time. Where she ends up is one of the tougher calls to make. The AEW women’s division could use her in the ring. She’s very talented, has a great look, and could bring strong competition to a division trying to find itself. This makes her one of the most valuable pro wrestling free agents today.
For WWE, she never really had many opportunities to show off how good she was. She rarely ever saw time on WWE NXT, and then she was brought to the main roster where she was only ever a jobber. This was more than likely thanks to Vince McMahon”s booking, and Triple H could possibly use her better than he did before. We”re certain Shawn Michaels on NXT would book her well upon a return, especially given how good she was in TNA.
There’s a world where she comes back to NXT with more street cred and more experience as a champion. There are tons of rivalries on the NXT roster that would make compelling television. The NXT women”s division is perhaps the deepest women”s division outside of an all-female promotion on the planet. It is full of young, terrific athletes. Having Purrazzo come in and succeed in that division would put her on a pedestal that very few other women have been on.
Prediction: WWE (NXT)
Alexander Hammerstone
Alexander Hammerstone is the former MLW World Heavyweight Champion. He’s a proven in-ring talent and has a great look. Both WWE and AEW could use him, and we”re sure TNA would make a bid too. If he goes to AEW and MJF is still there, that”s a built-in storyline given that these two worked together in MLW. There was even talk at some point that Hammerstone could end up being “The Devil.” Although we now know that it was Adam Cole.
If Hammerstone goes to WWE, then there’s not a built-in storyline. There’s no shortage of interesting matches or opponents he could take on. For as talented as he is, he’s also between two companies with pretty crowded main event scenes. We’re going to think it’s more likely that he rise to the top of AEW’s card, given how proven the top of the WWE card is. If the dream is to ply your trade in WWE someday, then what better time than now? That said, he”s still young and an AEW run makes a ton of sense.
Hammerstone is not one of the bigger pro wrestling free agents. However, he is still incredible and worth a nice contract. We just feel AEW will allow him to shine right away. That does not mean a WWE run is never going to happen though.
Prediction: AEW
Lio Rush
Lio Rush has big aspirations for 2024. He’s a talented talker and an exciting in-ring worker. Any company worth their salt is sniffing around Rush. In our opinion, he”s one of the pro wrestling free agents that could sort of work well anywhere.
The last few years have been a weird ride for Rush. Let’s see: he wins the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Then a few months later he’s released from his contract as part of COVID-19 budget cuts. He waited with the rest of the world, then signed on with MLW in November of 2020.
He wrestled a match in January of 2021 for MLW. Then he won the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship….but it was not recognized. Then he makes an appearance for AEW in May of 2021. He signed with AEW four months later in November of 2021. Then in February 2022, his contract expired and he became a free agent.
Then he signed with NJPW in 2022 and worked with them through early 2023. By March of 2023, he was in Impact Wrestling.
Are you exhausted from reading this? We are. It’s been a whirlwind so there’s no question he’d want to find a permanent home and paycheck in the new year.
That leaves us with the important question of…where will he end up? There’s more potential for him in AEW. Rush has a very unique wrestling style, and if he can figure out the right spots and stories he can be a star in AEW. The WWE would be smart to at least consider him but we don’t believe that he’ll rise to the top of their priority list.
Prediction: AEW
Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali”s WWE run was disappointing. Everyone who watches wrestling knows how good he is in the ring. While he’s not the best mic worker in the business, he’s better than some of his peers in the WWE. Mustafa was part of the roster cuts late in 2023. He announced his intention to travel the independents and increase his profile. We felt then and still do now that this is the right way to go. A string of great matches outside of WWE and AEW will do wonders for what we know is a world-class talent.
We hope Mustafa spends a couple of years as the best draw on the Indies. Then he can find his way to a promotion like NJPW where he can establish himself as a top worker in the world. After that, he can get whatever he wants from both AEW and WWE. This makes him a pretty useful pro wrestling free agent in 2024, as many places can bring him in possibly for a price that is much lower than the asking price of other former WWE Superstars.
Prediction: Independent/NJPW
The Grizzled Young Veterans
The former NXT UK Tag Team Champions have been away from WWE for quite some time. Where will the Grizzled Young Veterans end up? They have announced they”re taking independent bookings. It is a way to increase their exposure to AEW/WWE/TNA to take a look at them. They are good and could provide some competition in any of those places. This one feels like a crap shoot though.
We”re almost certain they are ending up in TNA, considering they made their debut at TNA Hard to Kill. Does that mean they are under contract with them? Not necessarily, but TNA would be wise to lock them up sooner rather than later. They are valuable pro wrestling free agents that are affordable for TNA as well as MLW and NJPW. Which makes the competition for their services much bigger.
Prediction: TNA
Kazuchika Okada
Kazuchika Okada of the best wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. His contract with NJPW is up at the end of January 2024. This has led to relentless speculation about where he could end up. AEW makes sense as they have a good relationship with New Japan. Okada has worked a few matches in AEW as well. He just recently worked at Wrestle Kingdom with Bryan Danielson too.
He could go to AEW and continue that rivalry or renew his rivalry with Kenny Omega. Adam Copeland would jump at working with him among many others. AEW Owner Tony Khan focuses heavily on 5-star matches and Cagematch ratings to determine the success of his company. Okada wants to have the best matches, so AEW makes sense here.
What’s the case for WWE?
WWE is still the most notable promotion, and they have WrestleMania. The company also has top-tier stars like Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Gunther, Cody Rhodes, and more. Okada has climbed all the mountains he needs to climb but why not climb one more?
Heading to WWE, he’d immediately enter a main-event storyline. Could you imagine a WWE SummerSlam with Reigns vs. Okada headlining? We know what he can do in NJPW. Why not challenge himself and see if he can take the WWE style and turn it into classic match after classic match?
WWE also has incredible matches. It’s just not always their default setting the way it is AEW. If Okada wants to leave no debate that he was the greatest in-ring worker of all time, he can only do that in WWE.
However, the specter of working in both Japan and America is probably too strong to bring him to the WWE roster.
Prediction: AEW
Mercedes Mone
The legit superstar has had a rough ride since walking out on WWE in May of 2022. Mercedes Mone (aka Sasha Banks) wrestled a couple of matches with NJPW. Then she spent most of 2023 sidelined with an ankle injury.
With her contract up, she can go anywhere now. The rumor mill is endless with the latest (at the time of this article) being that she is AEW-bound. During the summer, it was said she was a lock for AEW. Then we heard that talks had stopped and she was a lock to go back to the WWE.
Is there anything for sure at this point?
Mone sees herself as a star on the same level as Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Bianca Belair. She wants all the money and the spotlight that comes with commanding that kind of salary. We know that her relationship with Triple H was good as she’s stated many times in interviews. Booking matters when you want to be the star.
AEW could offer her big-time exposure. She’d be the biggest star on the women’s side by a country mile. She would be the queen of the castle. The question is how big is the castle? AEW doesn’t have the best track record of featuring women. Triple H, on the other hand, properly features women. He also makes a big deal of rivalries that don”t involve the title.
Mercedes remains this writer”s most beloved women’s wrestler. I can’t help but think that she’s not interested in having to swim with stars on her level. Her ego seems to be too big for the WWE. Having to run 3rd match to Charlotte or Becky seems like a situation she’d rather not encounter. She’ll run AEW’s women’s division unencumbered.
Prediction: AEW
