Tay Conti Signs With AEW

The first direct NXT to AEW "jump".

by Michael Sidgwick
Tay Conti
AEW

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.

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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).

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!