4 AEW stars who you forgot were still under contract

AEW claims to be the promotion where “the best wrestle”. Such a claim cannot be dismissed easily, because the company’s roster currently boasts names like MJF, Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland, Kazuchika Okada, The Young Bucks, FTR, Speedball Bailey, Kevin Knight, Thekla, Megan Bayne, Mina Shirakawa, Toni Storm, Mercedes Mone, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and more.

However, with the promotion’s massive growth over the past six years, as well as the growth of its locker-room, there are a number of All Elite Wrestling stars who have unfortunately been relegated to obscurity, having not been featured on programming for extensive periods of time, or even booked for matches on the Tony Khan-led company’s weekly shows, despite remaining under contract.

Let us take a look at four such forgotten names who are still All Elite.

#1. Former WWE Superstar Matt Sydal

Matt Sydal made his first appearance in AEW as a surprise entrant in the Casino Battle Royale at All Out 2020. After wrestling a few more bouts for the promotion, the high-flyer was officially signed by All Elite Wrestling in November of 2020. Over the next few years, the erstwhile Evan Bourne competed on the Jacksonville-based company’s TV programs, Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision, as well as on its YouTube streaming shows, Dark and Dark: Elevation.

Sydal has not been in action in All Elite Wrestling since he was beaten by Konosuke Takeshita in their singles bout on the May 22, 2024, episode of AEW Dynamite. The following month, he underwent surgery on his right foot and was on the shelf until returning to competition last year in July. Although he wrestled two more matches since then, he has not been in the ring since his win over IKKI at an indie show on December 7, 2025.

Despite being away from AEW TV for well over a year, Sydal is still very much under contract with the promotion.

#2. Former WWE Superstar Ruby Soho

Like Matt Sydal, Ruby Soho also made her AEW debut during a Battle Royale at All Out. At the 2021 edition of the pay-per-view, the erstwhile Ruby Riott entered the matchup and actually won it, earning a shot at Britt Baker’s Women’s World Title. Although she failed to unseat The DMD, The Punk Rock Ragdoll continued to compete prolifically on All Elite Wrestling programming. She was featured on television throughout 2022 and was a finalist in both the inaugural TBS Title Tournament and the Women’s Owen Hart Cup.

Ruby then moved on to a brief feud with the Jericho Appreciation Society alongside Ortiz, later battling TayJay AS by teaming with Willow Nightingale. However, after failing to dethrone Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women’s Title at Revolution 2023, Soho turned on the champion and on Britt Baker, aligning herself with Saraya and Toni Storm. The former WWE superstars banded together as The Outcasts, a faction that ran roughshod over the All Elite Wrestling women’s division, especially its “homegrown” names.

Soho once again became a finalist of the Owen Hart Cup in 2023 and unsuccessfully challenged for the TBS and Women’s World Titles later that year. Eventually, cracks began forming among the Outcasts after Ruby showed interest in pursuing a relationship with Angelo Parker, which Saraya and their new teammate, Harley Cameron, tried to sabotage together. This led to Soho walking out on The Anti-Diva in February of 2024. A couple of months later, it was revealed that the Michigan native was actually expecting a child with Parker.

Soho has been on hiatus from AEW programming since then. Considering that she began training for her comeback a few months ago, it remains to be seen if Ruby will make her return anytime soon.

#3 and #4. AEW tag team The Butcher and The Blade

The Butcher and The Blade have been involved with All Elite Wrestling since the promotion’s foundation. The duo has wrestled several of the company’s most prominent tag teams and units, including The Young Bucks, Private Party, The Acclaimed, The Lucha Brothers, the Blackpool Combat Club, Jurassic Express, and more. In their last TV appearance together, they teamed with Kip Sabian in an unsuccessful effort against Mark Briscoe and The Hardys on the January 5, 2024, episode of Rampage.

Unfortunately, The Blade was sidelined by a lower back injury in 2024, for which he underwent surgery later that September. In his absence, The Butcher went on a brief singles run, facing the likes of Swerve Strickland, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, and Darby Allin. He was last seen on AEW TV on the February 22 episode of Collision last year, where Gabe Kidd squashed him. Months later, in December of 2025, The Blade returned to active competition. However, neither man has been featured on All Elite Wrestling programming in a while.

During a recent interview, The Butcher spoke about himself and The Blade not being brought back as a duo despite being under contract with AEW. It remains to be seen whether his remarks lead to the two returning to television.