Lance Archer’s AEW Contract Expires This Summer

Published: Apr 10, 2026 by Dave Adamson | Last Updated: Apr 10, 2026 by Dave Adamson

Dave has been a website writer for WrestleTalk since October 2022, having previously written for Den of Geek, among a number of wrestling, movie and television-related sites. Dave has been around the independent wrestling scene for more than a decade, including behind-the-scenes.

Lance Archer’s AEW Contract Expires This Summer

Having been a fixture in AEW since February 2020, Lance Archer’s current contract is reportedly set to expire later this year.

A member of the Don Callis Family, Lance Archer had teamed with Brian Cage until his Murder Machines teammate was sidelined through injury in April of last year, electing to undergo two surgeries.

In the April 10 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Dave Meltzer revealed that Archer is under contract with AEW until July of this year, with his deal expiring at some point during that month.

Archer has remained active on AEW television and competes regularly in Ring of Honor, with his most recent Collision match seeing him team with Josh Alexander, Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta in a losing effort for the Don Callis Family against the team of Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, PAC & Wheeler Yuta of Death Riders.

A former NWA World Tag Team Champion and IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, Archer has yet to pick up a title in AEW, but did face off with Cody Rhodes in the finals of a tournament to crown the inaugural AEW TNT Champion in May 2020.

Where Next For the Murderhawk Monster?

A star in TNA Wrestling, WWE, NJPW and Pro-Wrestling NOAH before he landed in AEW, Lance Archer has built a name for himself across the international wrestling scene.

He will also likely be seen on the big screen later this year, with Archer, Cage, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. involved in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming sci-fi movie, Disclosure Day, according to a past report from PWInsider.

Currently separated from his tag team partner, Archer remains a member of one of the more prominent factions in AEW, although there’s an argument to be made that a singles run of his own could benefit the 6ft 8in powerhouse performer. Regular seen in multi-man action on Dynamite and Collision, Archer has been on a winning streak in ROH over recent months.

There’s also potential in a return to NJPW, which enjoys a partnership with AEW, with the star having been a two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion and a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion with Davey Boy Smith.

Whether Archer and AEW can come to some arrangement on a new deal remains to be seen, with plenty of time for negotiations to take place.

Regardless of how the negotiations end and where Archer’s career moves forward, there’s certainly more that the Murderhawk Monster can do, whatever the future holds.