AEW President and CEO Tony Khan has bolstered the current roster with some major acquisitions this year. The promoter has picked up some huge names in the free agent market.

In 2026, Khan brought in the likes of The Rascalz, Tommaso Ciampa, and The Inspiration, who have put on some impressive performances in the Jacksonville-based promotion. He also roped in major wrestling sensation Mascara Dorada and Persephone in dual contracts with CMLL. Other independent wrestling stars, such as Alec Price and Jordan Oliver, also got their All Elite status earlier this year.

But with major wrestlers coming in to join the ranks, some of the existing stars tend to get overlooked. The significant roster has not prevented Tony Khan from booking some of his older stars on TV, leading to some extended hiatuses for several top AEW stars. Let’s take a look at some of the stars who have slipped through the cracks.

#1. Wardlow

During his AEW run, Wardlow has been a true force of nature. His stellar on-screen presence and in-ring acumen pushed him to become a three-time TNT Champion. However, the 38-year-old star has been unlucky with some ill-timed injuries keeping him on the sidelines.

Mr. Mayhem last competed on the March 13, 2024, episode of Dynamite in a match against Samoa Joe. However, he got injured and has not wrestled a match since then. Later, he returned and aligned himself with the Don Callis Family. However, the appearance was for one night only.

Since then, the star has been working to get back to full health. He was backstage at Revolution earlier this month. However, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful later revealed that the company has no creative plans for him. The star is currently focusing on promoting his appearance on American Gladiators.

#2. Tay Melo and Anna Jay

During the initial years of AEW, Tay Melo and Anna Jay became the original women’s tag team in the company. The two stars often tagged together on Dynamite and Collision. Despite having successful singles careers, they joined hands again last year. At Fyter Fest, Melo showed up to help her former partner during a brutal attack by Megan Bain and Penelope Ford. However, the two stars have not been on TV for a while, with Anna Jay last appearing on the November 19th, 2025 edition of Collision. Tay Melo wrestled her last match a week later.

During a recent report, Fightful detailed that TayJay’s absence began around the same time rumors of Anna Jay’s contract renewal came up. Anna wanted to be a part of Blood and Guts, but the two parties could not get creative plans together for the show. There have been no reports around Tay’s current contract status or creative plans.

#1. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho was one of the biggest stars to sign with AEW back in 2019. In fact, he was the inaugural World Champion for the company. Over the years, he has been a prominent fixture on the roster, having stellar matches against the likes of Jon Moxley, Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston, Sammy Guevara, and many more.

However, the star has not competed since April 2020. There were some rumors about Y2J moving to WWE ahead of the Royal Rumble. Later, reports confirmed that the star’s contract was frozen by the Tony Khan-led company. Veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer noted that the star’s AEW contract was extended due to time missed in 2025. However, there was no word on any creative plans for the veteran.