New AEW Trio Were Contacted By WWE Before Signing

By Andy H Murray / November 7, 2022

The Kingdom were contacted by WWE prior to signing with AEW, suggesting that the market leaders were at least interested in opening a dialogue with Maria Kanellis, Mike Bennett, and Matt Taven were locked down by Tony Khan.

Fightful Select reports that WWE had been in touch with all three members of The Kingdom prior to their departure from IMPACT Wrestling. Things did not progress to the stage of a formal offer, however, with the conversations described as more of a "feeling out process."

WWE's creative lead, Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, and former Ring Of Honor/EVOLVE promoter Gabe Sapolsky were the points of contact during this process. Levesque returned to an executive position following disgraced former Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon's resignation in July, while Sapolsky rejoined WWE in a creative role in September, having previously departed in January.

Bennett, Kanellis, and Taven wrapped their commitments with IMPACT Wrestling on 8 October. WWE's interest in The Kingdom was reported soon after, as Triple H ramped up signing plans as part of his ongoing revamp of the promotion's creative processes.

The Kingdom In AEW

The Kingdom have been an act on and off since 2014, when Bennett, Kanellis, and Taven first came together in Ring Of Honor. Reunited as the OGK in IMPACT earlier this year, they debuted for All Elite Wrestling in October, confronting FTR on an episode of Rampage.

Bennett is yet to step through the ropes for the promotion. Taven, however, wrestled Wardlow for the TNT Championship on the 28 October Rampage, falling in around nine minutes.

That AEW had officially signed The Kingdom was confirmed in late October.

Whether or not The Kingdom will be assigned to AEW or Tony Khan's embryonic ROH reboot going forward remains to be seen. The trio has immense history in ROH, however, with their latest major triumph coming as World Tag Team Champions as OGK from November to December 2021.