Tay Conti Signs With AEW
The first direct NXT to AEW "jump".
In unsurprising but no less welcome news, AEW has just revealed on Twitter the signing of Tay Conti (formerly Taynara Conti in NXT).
Conti, released by WWE amid 'Black Wednesday', had drawn praise for her work in the Deadly Draw cup, in which she teamed with Anna Jay and showed a different and improved working style to that with which she failed to gain traction in NXT. She was recently presented with an invitation to join the Dark Order in storyline canon. This news formalises the signing, if not to the stable itself. That remains to be seen, as do the terms of the deal.
This move, should it prove successful, will improve a depleted Women's division and elevate its profile. Conti has the distinction of appearing in the first ever NXT segment to defeat AEW Dynamite in the ongoing ratings war; her match with Santana Garrett in November outdrew its competition in overall viewership 813,000 to 809,000. Clearly, there is a raw and marketable talent AEW would do well to maximise here.
This marks the first direct jump between NXT and AEW in the ongoing war, beyond main roster defections (FTR, Brodie Lee, Jon Moxley etc.) and the odd Dark one-off (Tino Sabbatelli).