The WWE Superstar You Never Thought Would Leave... Is Leaving

Has the pace slowed of wrestlers jumping between WWE and AEW following a post-pandemic gold rush?

It certainly seems that way as we head towards the end of 2023's first quarter. Just under a year removed from sensationally re-signing Cody Rhodes, WWE might on the verge of bringing in his former fellow Bullet Club member Jay White, but tectonic-plate shifters such as those two are rule-proving exceptions for the market leader.

And that's if 'Switchblade' doesn't choose All Elite Wrestling as his permanent United States home. Hotly tipped as an Adam Cole opponent if he does sign on the dotted line, White has lots of previous with the roster from shared times elsewhere to slot in nicely, but he's not an "ex-WWE" jump as so many were labelled following that company's many releases and contract expiries at the height of the pandemic.

A settling period was possibly needed after the early years of the new wrestling war, but Rhodes' 2022 move in particular was a reminder for many of the "never say never" reality of wrestling, especially when the times might be more financially beneficial for the wrestlers themselves for a change.

There are only so many performers that still carry the glow of being a WWE lifer now anyway, and even less after that that Tony Khan would probably realistically consider bringing into the fold. One in particular seemed to fit this profile to a tee until a recent confluence of occurrences raised major questions about the true final chapter of a Hall Of Fame career...

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