Doug & Ryan list up the top 5 best and worst jumps between AEW & WWE since AEW started in 2019. Welcome to WrestleWatch Episode 78! WrestleWatch is a project focused on analysis and discussion of free agency in the world of professional wrestling. Each week, Doug & Ryan explore the potential jumps and the implications that they can have on the industry, as well as adjacent topics in wrestling such as business developments, statistics, and other factors and news in the landscape.
This episode was recorded live on February 22nd, 2026. Music Provided by Wendi Freeman [TikTok & Instagram: maritalstreep]
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As always, here are the updates to the Free Agency Tracker:
First up we have two Confirmed Jumps, and both are AEW signings: The IInspiration and Lena Kross. The duo known in WWE as The IIconics left TNA last month with rumors of potential interest in both AEW and WWE; they wound up debuting for the former and being announced as signed as part of AEW’s recent Australia tour. We previously had them as a Toss-up on the Tracker so we weren’t as confident it would happen as quickly as it did. Lena Kross was a name tied to AEW for some months now, with Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful claiming she might’ve signed with the promotion some time ago; she too debuted Down Under, and we formerly had her as a Likely signing.
Now for folks still on our Tracker, and we’ll start with the most intriguing one: AJ Styles. WWE announced there would be a Raw Tribute to Styles tonight (2/23/26) and we’ve yet to hear (1) if he will attend and (2) what that will entail. Could this be just a formal Stateside farewell to the Phenomenal One before he heads to another promotion? Could this be an announcement of him signing a Legends deal and being announced for the WWE Hall of Fame? He also visited the Performance Center in Orlando this past week, which similarly could be viewed both as a farewell or a new chapter in WWE. We’ve gone slightly less daring this week and downgraded him from Toss-up to Possible - and I’m sure we’ll be doing another update on him next time…
Someone else who has retirement potentially in mind is Chris Jericho. We’ve been thinking for a while that him going to WWE in 2026 was a foregone conclusion and had him as high as Likely, but perhaps things are happening not so fast. Fightful reported last week that Jericho’s AEW contract was frozen when he disappeared from TV so he could focus on other projects such as filming and Fozzy. That means that January 2026 contract expiration date was just the earliest he might be a free agent, and added time brings added uncertainty for his next move. Fightful had also reported from those close to Jericho that he had concerns about having to give up outside projects if he returned to WWE - and again, with more time to mull it over it creates more of a possibility Jericho decides to stay Elite. We’ve downgraded him just one tier from Likely to Probable.
Also in AEW we have Anna Jay - at least for now. We haven’t seen her since November when her and Tay Melo lost in the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Championships tournament and Jay’s contract is reportedly due to be expiring soon. Jay has been upgraded one tier from a Remote chance to an Unlikely chance of leaving AEW for other pastures.
The final update this week is about the identity of the mystery tag team AEW teased out for Dynamite on February 11th - it turned out to be Private Party returning after nearly a year off-screen. The duo had been rumored to have their contract expiring recently and thus there was a buzz about a potential WWE move for the team. Their appearance on February 21st’s Collision in a pre-taped segment decreased the chances that was just a one-off return, but without a solid report that the duo have re-signed with AEW we’ll be keeping them on the Tracker still - albeit downgraded from Toss-up to Remote.
