Since its inception, AEW has brought in a whole host of talents, some of which have stuck around for full-time deals such as Jon Moxley and Sting, and others that have only appeared for a few weeks. However, the company has also been happy to bring in wrestlers on a one-off deal as well, signing them for one specific show or moment and then leaving things.
These random appearances have created unpredictable energy to each episode of AEW and that is something that has made the show very enjoyable overall. While some of these talents could have been kept on and the fans would have been happy, that didn't end up being the case for whatever reason.
10 Erick Rowan (The Brodie Lee Celebration Of Life)
AEW's decision to bring Erick Rowan on board for just one episode was a great example of why the company is often praised so heavily. He appeared for the Brodie Lee tribute episode and despite the fact, all his history with Brodie took place in WWE, Tony Khan still brought him in.
It was an incredibly emotional moment for Rowan himself and the fans, but it was a classy decision by AEW to have him appear. Rowan's appearance obviously meant a lot to him and while he didn't stick around, him being there that night helped to make the show even more important.
9 Tenille Dashwood (AEW All Out, 2019)
When Tenille Dashwood was originally let go from WWE there was a real buzz about where she might end up next. As one of the most impressive female workers, she seemed like a great possible signing for AEW, and she did end up appearing at AEW's All Out event in 2019.
It was a huge surprise and something people were excited about seeing as she took part in the battle royal. Fans speculated if she would then sign for the company, but instead, Dashwood opted to put pen to paper on a deal with Impact Wrestling.
8 Juventud Guerrera (AEW Dynamite, Homecoming)
A recent one-off appearance that took place in AEW saw Juventud Guerrera appear as part of Chris Jericho's storyline with MJF. The former AEW World Champion had to go through five different labours in order to earn a match with MJF, and Guerrera just so happened to be one of them.
He and Jericho have a longstanding history, therefore the decision was made to play on that and have them compete in one final match. While it obviously wasn't their greatest ever contest, the two men still have an enjoyable match that was particularly fun for the nostalgic fans.
7 Bret Hart (AEW Double Or Nothing, 2019)
Bret Hart is one of the biggest names in the history of professional wrestling and he just so happened to have made an appearance for AEW as well. Of course, the Hitman didn't compete inside the ring, but he did unveil the AEW World Championship.
It made sense that the company would want to bring in a big name who is well-known in the wrestling world for this moment, as it instantly made the title mean something. However, Hart hasn't been seen in an AEW ring since that point.
6 Glacier (AEW Double Or Nothing, 2019)
AEW has had a lot of battle royals in its short history, with the company clearly enjoying the unpredictable nature that the matches provided. It has also allowed AEW to bring people in for one-off appearances, which is what happened at Double Or Nothing in 2019.
Glacier ended up being part of the battle royal during the Buy-In portion of the show, which was a great moment for the fans. While he obviously didn't end up winning the match, it was certainly a fun opportunity to see him back in the ring on the biggest stage.
5 Ace Romero (AEW Double Or Nothing, 2019)
Speaking of that particular battle royal, Glacier wasn't the only surprise appearance within the match. In that encounter, Tony Khan threw out a lot of big names for people to enjoy, as they could spot different wrestlers they have seen work elsewhere.
Ace Romero was one of the people that AEW decided to put into the match which is something that fans enjoyed at the time. While this one was clearly always a one-off appearance, it was still a great decision by Khan.
4 Raven (AEW Dynamite, 2/20/20)
Raven is one of the greatest wrestlers of all time and somebody who could easily have added a lot to the AEW roster had he been kept around for a long time. However, that wasn't the case, as he was simply used to tease the possibility of him leading The Dark Order.
He was shown sitting at ringside, watching them compete before the Exalted One was revealed to be Brodie Lee. Because Raven is well-known for his work leading factions, it could have made sense for him to have been in that role, but in the end, this was just a fun teaser.
3 Greg Valentine (AEW Dynamite, 10/7/20)
Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine is one of the biggest names in the history of the wrestling industry, and he just so happened to make an appearance for AEW. The company brought him on the day that Cody Rhodes and Brodie Lee competed in a Dog Collar match.
AEW brought Valentine in as a special guest and he watched the match from the audience, with AEW getting to promote him alongside the encounter. It wasn't one of the most memorable appearances, but it was still a neat moment to happen.
2 Gangrel (AEW Full Gear, 2020)
When AEW put together a cinematic match for Matt Hardy, the chances were always high that there would be a few appearances from familiar faces. One of those just so happened to be wrestling legend, Gangrel, who popped up during the match.
It was a great appearance for fans especially since Matt Hardy has a huge history with Gangrel as a talent. Currently, he only exists within the cinematic world of Hardy though, she has yet to appear for a second time.
1 Warhorse (AEW Dynamite, 7/29/20)
Warhorse got one of the biggest opportunities for a one-off wrestler in AEW history when he appeared on an episode of Dynamite to challenge for the TNT Championship. This took place during Cody Rhodes' run as champion when he would host an open challenge each week.
Warhorse was one of those wrestlers who got to have a shot at the title, but he didn't end up getting kept on the roster. It was simply seen as a one-off appearance due to his popularity at the time, with this being quickly forgotten about.