Real Reason Why WWE Is Not Trying To Sign AEW Stars Right Now

Why WWE is no longer showing interest in AEW talent.

by Andrew Pollard
Young Bucks Kenny Omega Triple H
AEW/WWE

While WWE has previously had noted interest in several AEW talents, there now comes an update on one reason why the market leader is currently hesitant to try and sign such talents.

Speaking on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio (as per WrestlingNews.co), Dave Meltzer noted how the ongoing lawsuit between Major League Wrestling and WWE has a part to play in how WWE is nowadays handling its talent acquisitions.

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Meltzer brought this up when talking about the contract status of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks; three names whose AEW deals are due to expire next year.

The Observer founder stated how in years gone by, WWE would have made contact with talents in this position ahead of their contract expiry to let them know there was interest and to make an informal offer for the wrestlers to take up when their existing contract was up. Now, that's not the case, and that's down to the ongoing lawsuit being brought by MLW.

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As Meltzer explained:

"WWE is very leery because of the MLW lawsuit. So they're not making, like, if this was, if that MLW lawsuit wasn't there, WWE, and it's not just these guys, there are other guys that this relates to and have an interest in at least hearing from WWE. And [in] one case [there is] interest in going to WWE, and WWE has been uncharacteristically, whatever the word is, not aggressively trying to steal talent, like, unless somebody's contract is over, because of that MLW lawsuit."

Of course, any contact with talents contracted elsewhere is not usually viewed in a positive light in a court of law, and thus WWE doesn't want to run the risk of bringing more negative attention to their practices at a time when they are already involved in a lawsuit.

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In terms of this MLW lawsuit, Court Bauer's promotion alleges WWE violated the Sherman Antitrust Act in the US wrestling market. By this, MLW claims WWE attempted to hinder potential TV deals and sign contracted MLW talent.

It's also worth noting that WWE was put under a hiring freeze earlier in this year prior to being assimilated by Endeavor. Since then, new hires have been few and far between.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.