The world of professional wrestling has been witnessing intense competition between WWE and AEW, and this rivalry has extended beyond the ring to the talent acquisition process. Both companies often find themselves eyeing the same pool of talented wrestlers, and sometimes, they even express interest in talents currently signed with their rival company. This practice has become a source of contention and has recently led to some complications.
A noteworthy development in this scenario is WWE’s cautious approach when it comes to pursuing AEW talent. This cautiousness stems from the ongoing antitrust lawsuit that WWE is facing from MLW (Major League Wrestling). The legal situation has made WWE extremely wary of being involved in any potential contract tampering, which could further exacerbate their legal issues.
According to Dave Meltzer, a prominent figure in the wrestling media, there are AEW stars who are currently waiting to hear from WWE regarding potential opportunities. However, due to the aforementioned lawsuit, WWE has refrained from making aggressive attempts to poach talent from AEW or engage in any form of contract tampering. This uncharacteristic restraint is a clear indication of WWE’s desire to avoid any further legal threats or complications.
Although some AEW stars might still consider transitioning to WWE in the future, it appears that any such moves will be handled with utmost caution and compliance with legal requirements. WWE, under its new ownership structure following the merger with Endeavor and the creation of the TKO Holdings Group, understands the importance of avoiding any involvement in shady deals or potential contract breaches.
“WWE is very, very leery because of the MLW lawsuit, so they’re not making… if that MLW lawsuit wasn’t there, WWE – and it’s not just these guys (the Elite), there’s other guys that this relates to, that have interest at least in hearing from WWE and in one case interested in going to WWE – and WWE has been uncharacteristically not aggressively trying to steal talent.”
