WWE parted ways with several notable names throughout 2026. Aleister Black and Santos Escobar were among the wave of releases following WrestleMania 42, while Ilja Dragunov departed more recently after his contract expired.
Despite their exits, all three still have what it takes to accomplish something that eluded them on WWE’s main roster: winning a world championship.
3 – Santos Escobar
Santos Escobar is arguably the toughest case on this list, largely because he’s already 42 years old. That said, few free agents on the market can match his experience running a faction and working as a top-tier heel.
During his WWE tenure, Escobar held the NXT Cruiserweight Championship for 313 days and led Legado del Fantasma.
A full-time return to AAA, where he had already been working prior to his release, could put him in the Mega Championship picture almost immediately. Over in TNA, his track record and promo ability would be more than enough to land him in a main event spot.
2 – Aleister Black
Aleister Black might be the most puzzling release on this list.
Just weeks before his departure, Black had been featured regularly and picked up wins over Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, and Matt Cardona. He was on the verge of moving back into SmackDown’s top feuds.
Black already proved in NXT that he can carry a division, capturing the NXT Championship in 2018.
With the right opportunity at a new promotion, particularly AEW or TNA, he still has the name value and credibility to finally capture a world title.
1 – Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Dragunov is the most clear-cut case of the three. At just 32, he’s entering his prime, and his resume already includes the NXT Championship, the NXT UK Championship, and the United States Championship.
Dragunov was also the man who ended Gunther’s historic 870-day NXT UK Championship reign in 2021.
If he were to sign with AEW, for example, there would be very little reason not to position him as a future contender for the AEW World Championship. Dragunov has the age, the in-ring ability, and the track record to reach the top of virtually any major promotion in the world.