AEW Showing Interest in Former WWE ID Talent Zayda Steel After Contract Expiry

Another former WWE prospect may be on AEW’s radar.

According to Fightful Select, AEW has recently shown interest in Zayda Steel, who was previously under WWE’s “ID” contract. That deal officially ended in early October, and it didn’t take long before AEW reportedly reached out.

Sources say contact was made sometime last month, but “she wasn’t signed as of then, and hadn’t been as of this past week.”

Unlike standard WWE deals, the WWE ID contract includes matching rights—meaning if another promotion makes an offer, WWE has the opportunity to match it. However, since Zayda is no longer under that agreement, she’s officially a free agent and those restrictions no longer apply. The belief within WWE is that Zayda declined to renew her contract when the time came.

“The word within WWE was that when it came time to renew the deal, Zayda opted to not renew, in line with what she said at the time.”

During her time under WWE ID, Zayda competed in EVOLVE matches, scoring a win in a singles match and a tag team match. She also appeared under the WWE ID umbrella in GCW and APAC.

Outside of WWE-affiliated work, she’s been busy building a name elsewhere. Zayda previously competed in MLW, where she ultimately challenged for the MLW World Women’s Title before wrapping up her run with a loss. She’s also done work for Marigold, continuing to expand her in-ring résumé internationally.

Zayda Steel isn’t signed yet—but the door at AEW appears open. With her WWE ties behind her and no contract restrictions holding her back, she’s free to go wherever the opportunity feels right.

Do you think Zayda Steel would be a good fit for AEW? Should Tony Khan pull the trigger and sign her to the roster? Drop your thoughts in the comments and join the conversation.