Biggest Stars From The First All In Who Never Signed With AEW

In 2018, members of The Elite made history by putting together a super indy card, All In, becoming the first non WWE or WCW professional wrestling card to draw over 10,000 fans since 1993. This event proved to be the precursor for the creation of AEW, featuring several major names who would one day become All Elite in Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Young Bucks, MJF, Britt Baker, The Lucha Bros, Kazuchika Okada, and more.

However, there are also several notable names from All In 2018 who never ended up signing with AEW. Whether it be due to certain names heading to WWE or elsewhere, controversy arising surrounding particular names, or Tony Khan simply deciding against signing them, the historic All In had some big wrestlers who didn’t follow others to AEW.

8

Bully Ray

• Bully Ray was competing in ROH.
• He competed on the pre-show battle royal at All In.
• Bully Ray has been outspoken against AEW.

One of the most vocal detractors towards AEW over the last several years has been Bully Ray (Bubba Ray Dudley), but many may actually be unaware that he was a part of the first ever All In event back in 2018.

His role was small, competing on the pre-show battle royal as the last wrestler eliminated from the match by winner Flip Gordon, but he was there nonetheless. Despite his role in ROH and having influence in promotions outside of WWE for many years, he never ended up in AEW.

7

Tessa Blanchard

• In 2018, Blanchard was one of the biggest names in women’s wrestling.
• Tessa Blanchard has been showered in controversy.
• The likes of WWE and AEW passed up on signing her.

Tessa Blanchard was considered one of the best women’s wrestlers in the world in 2018, even going on to become the first woman to win the men’s TNA World Heavyweight Championship… before her career was turned upside down upon allegations of racism and bullying. From that point on, Blanchard has become a point of major controversy in the wrestling business.

Only TNA has ever really taken a serious punt in bringing Blanchard back into the spotlight, with both WWE and AEW never making the jump to sign the controversial former star.

6

Damian Priest

• Priest wrestled as “Punishment Martinez” at All In.
• He signed with WWE a few months later.
• Priest is a former world champion in WWE.

During his time wrestling as “Punishment Martinez”, Damian Priest was a member of a stacked pre-show battle royal at All In that featured a range of notable names such as Best Friends, The Hurricane, Moose, Ethan Page, Tommy Dreamer, Brian Cage, Billy Gunn, and more!

He held a strong reputation on the independent scene, but with AEW not officially forming until the following year, WWE had the time to snap him up and sign him. From there, Priest has enjoyed a lot of success in WWE, winning the World Heavyweight Title, Money In The Bank, United States Championship, and multiple tag titles.

5

Jordynne Grace

• Grace became a major star in TNA.
• She competed on the All In pre-show.
• Grace later signed with WWE over AEW.

Jordynne Grace was the only women’s wrestler to step foot into the pre-show battle royal at All In 2018, competing against a sea of men’s wrestlers and being made to look like a beast in the process.

Grace would soon sign with TNA (prior to AEW’s creation), remaining as the face of the women’s division for years to come before finally leaving the promotion and heading over to WWE, where she has not enjoyed as much success.

4

Rey Mysterio

• Rey Mysterio headlined All In 2018.
• WWE signed Mysterio after his appearance at All In.
• Mysterio has remained with WWE in the years since.

In the main event of All In 2018, Rey Mysterio teamed with Bandido & Rey Fenix to take on The Golden Elite (The Young Bucks & Kota Ibushi). With rumblings of AEW forming, WWE wasted no time and brought Mysterio back into the promotion.

Mysterio has been a member of the WWE roster ever since, enjoying his second run in the promotion. With AEW attracting some big names upon the foundation of the company, it is likely that Mysterio’s role at All In would have led to him being brought in too, but WWE were ahead of the curve on this one.

3

Marty Scurll

• Marty Scurll was one of the biggest names outside of WWE in 2018.
• He competed against Kazuchika Okada at All In.
• Scurll is now blacklisted in professional wrestling.

One of the biggest draws at the first All In was a major match between Kazuchika Okada and Marty Scurll – two of the more “larger than life” characters outside of WWE at the time. With Scurll’s close relationship to The Elite, his arrival in AEW felt inevitable… only for disaster to strike.

Scurll was one of many names involved in the “Speaking Out” movement in which allegations of abuse, assault, among other things emerged against several professional wrestlers. He has still competed over the years on the independent scene, but he has not signed for a major promotion and likely never will.

2

Chelsea Green

• Green lost in a fatal four way match at All In 2018.
• She signed with WWE in 2018, shortly following this event.
• Green did not sign with AEW following her WWE release.

Chelsea Green competed in a fatal four way match at All In against Britt Baker, Tessa Blanchard, and Madison Rayne, putting in a good showing in the process. If AEW was created immediately after the event, then there is every chance that she would have ended up in the company… but she was signed by WWE instead.

When Green received her release in 2021, it was TNA who made the jump to bring in Green before her return back to WWE in 2023.

1

Nick Aldis

• Nick Aldis was in a major match at All In 2018.
• He lost the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title to Cody Rhodes.
• Aldis remained in NWA rather than AEW.

One of the marquee matchups at All In 2018 was Nick Aldis’ NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title defense against Cody Rhodes. They had a strong match that saw Rhodes win the title his father once held in a heart-warming moment, serving as one of the highlights of the PPV. In the aftermath, Aldis remained tied to the NWA, and despite AEW’s once working relationship with the promotion, Aldis never surfaced in AEW in any capacity.

Aldis later ended up signing with WWE, working as the SmackDown General Manager until his long-awaited in-ring debut (and perhaps retirement?) at SummerSlam 2026.