As we noted last night, after losing his Impact World Championship to Johnny Impact at Bound for Glory 2018, Austin Aries seemed to walk away from the company.
Immediately after getting pinned, Aries got up, effectively no selling the finish of the match, followed by a heated exchange between himself and Don Callis. Aries then flipped off Callis, the crowd, and everyone ringside while walking away, leaving Moose and Killer Kross as well.
Since then, speculation has run rampant regarding A Double’s position with Impact Wrestling. It was unclear whether the former champion had just left for good or if it was all part of the storyline between him and Johnny Impact, a storyline that had gotten incredibly heated, culminating in less of a wrestling match and more of a brawl at Bound for Glory.
Prior to the bout, Aries took some intense shots at Taya Valkyrie, Johnny Impact’s wife, on Twitter, which led to a brawl at Impact Wrestling’s 2018 Hall of Fame.
On the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez said that Aries has essentially, “gone home.” According to Alvarez, Aries won’t be attending tapings taking place today or tomorrow, meaning he won’t show up on TV for possibly a few months. Reportedly, Aries hasn’t been fired, which could mean that this is a work meant to get fans and news sites talking.
However, it’s now being reported that Aries is no longer under contract with Impact Wrestling.
According to Petey Williams, who discussed the incident on the latest episode of his podcast.
Austin Aries’ contract is done. That match was his last one under contract with Impact.
Williams apparently produced the title bout between Aries and Johnny Impact.
What do you think about the situation? Is it all a work, or has Austin Aries truly left Impact Wrestling?
