WWE is coming to get some talent back
It’s no secret now that WWE has been trying to contact some of AEW’s talent ever since the new regime has taken over. Now, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has some names who were contacted. As confirmed by WON, Malakai Black was one of those names, but who else?
As reported on Fightful Select last month, several AEW talent have been contacted by WWE, or those working with WWE about potential returns to the company. At the time, Fightful had heard that a former WWE talent had been contacted by WWE talent relations, referred the contact to their attorney, and informed AEW management of the contact. AEW sources confirmed this, and higher ups have spoken of it numerous times. However, that’s far from the only talent that was contacted. Wrestling Observer had noted that Malakai Black was contacted by WWE, and we have heard from WWE sources that over the past month, he’d indicated to contacts in the company that he wished he was still there. As of now he’s effectively done with AEW, but with the inability to compete for WWE for an extended period. Several in AEW management were initially of the impression he wanted to go back to WWE. There were higher ups in AEW that are of the “if they want to go, let them,” mentality, however. In addition to Malakai, a source within WWE also stated they heard that feelers were sent out to Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood of FTR. The two have a while left AEW contracts, and spent years in the WWE system working with Triple H. WWE had made numerous efforts to re-sign FTR under the Vince McMahon regime, but they chose to join AEW. Among others, Swerve Strickland is a name widely known within AEW that was also contacted by WWE. Finally, while we don’t have a name, an AEW source also said WWE had reached out in August to an AEW name who had been with the company since the start, but that even we’d be surprised to learn they reached out to. On his own podcast Bruce Prichard had highlighted that WWE previously had refused to discuss much of anything with contracted talent in years past.
Fightful Select
As of now, it seems FTR and Swerve won’t be leaving AEW. But, we’ll keep you updated on any news regarding other names contacted by WWE.
H/T Fightful Select
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