All Elite Wrestling has further bolstered its roster with the signing of Zayda Steel, a promising talent previously part of WWE’s Independent Development Program. Tony Khan made the official announcement on X on January 18, 2026, following Steel’s AEW in-ring debut against Marina Shafir on Collision. Steel had previously wrestled for sister promotion ROH last month, and there had been rumors that a contract had been offered.
22-year-old Steel, born Fatima Zahra, is a 22-year-old Moroccan-American wrestler from Arlington, Virginia, who debuted in 2022. Subsequently, she made a name for herself on the indies, notably wrestling in the Japanese joshi promotion Marigold, which led her to join WWE’s ID program in November 2024. From there, she featured Evolve with The Vanity Project, but she exited in October 2025.
