Tony Khan Addresses Potential New AEW Free Agent Signings

AEW

Tony Khan has addressed potential new AEW signings, with a number of stars entering the free agent market, including several former WWE names.

Back in April of this year, WWE released a number of stars, with any ninety-day non-compete clause in effect now expired.

Speaking on the AEW Redemption pre-show media call, shared by Fightful, Tony Khan addressed the landscape of the current scene, saying:

“There are a lot of great free agents in wrestling, particularly right now. There’s a lot of people coming out of contracts; it’s no secret that a lot of very talented wrestlers were released recently from their contracts, and it has put more people on the market, absolutely.

“It’s something that I am keeping my eye on, because I’m very cognizant that there’s a lot of really talented people that just got fired or cut or released, and I am keeping an eye on that.

“So, it’s certainly a very interesting time in pro wrestling and an exciting time for AEW.”

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Khan wouldn’t reveal any pertinent details of stays that he is keeping an eye on, although F4WOnline has reported that “there are at least 7 names who are currently “waiting” to be signed by AEW”.

The source would go on to indicate that there “may be more, but I only know of 7 personally”, with no names specified or potential debut dates indicated.

Expanding The AEW Roster Comes With Challenges

Beyond the stars who have now entered free agency, WWE has seen Sheamus as a recent departure, with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods also parting ways with the company, and it’s not impossible to visualize a future run AEW run for any or all three stars.

While there are arguments to be made that AEW shouldn’t expand its roster with every former WWE star, there are clearly those who will garner more interest from the fans than others, particularly given the wealth of talent that currently occupy Dynamite, Collision and ROH. That said, adding former WWE stars to any of these shows means that, with screen time already at a premium, someone else may not get the exposure that may have come their way.

It’s not just WWE that are releasing talent, however, with TNA Wrestling also trimming its roster. Victoria Crawford, previously Alicia Fox in WWE, is the latest name to exit the company. While there’s little indication of the direction that Crawford’s career will take, it’s possible she will put out feelers to AEW or other major companies to gauge interest.

When it comes to releases, it isn’t a one-way street, either, with Tony Khan confirming plans to grant Tay Melo her release during the AEW Redemption media call. AEW don’t often release talent, and rarely in the numbers that WWE has been seen to do, but there may come a point where there are too many stars and not enough screen time, which could lead to a rethink from Khan.

Looking into the near future, clearly AEW Redemption on July 26 could be the moment for a newly signed star or two to make their presence felt. Beyond that, AEW All In London on August 30 might be the ideal time to bring out the big guns, with the pay-per-view being a major event in the calendar.

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• AEW
• wwe
• tony khan
• Signings

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