WWE Reject Signing AEW Star Due To Sale

Former AEW star Brian Pillman Jr. who recently departed the company is unlikely to join WWE anytime soon. He had been with the company since 2019 and mainly competed on AEW’s YouTube shows, Dark and Dark: Elevation. As part of the Varsity Blonds, he had a run with Griff Garrison.

 


 

Pillman Jr.’s profile was recently removed from the official AEW website and speculation sparked about his status with the company. Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com confirmed that Pillman Jr.’s contract with the company had expired and he departed the company.

Following his departure from AEW, Pillman Jr. was reportedly spotted at the WWE Performance Center. Reports stated that AEW star is closing in to sign with WWE. However, it isn’t the case.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that there is no hiring freeze going on in WWE. Instead, WWE is limiting who they hire until after the WWE-UFC merger. That is why WWE won’t hire Brian Pillman Jr. anytime soon.

“Someone in WWE noted to us about Brian Pillman Jr., who AEW didn’t renew the contract of and his training at the Performance Center, and that while not impossible, it would be less likely he’d be hired right now until after the merger is complete.”

Meanwhile, on the latest episode of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru podcast, Cornette stated that Pillman Jr.’s departure from AEW should have happened sooner. He further suggests that the former Varsity Blonds member wasn’t learning anything.

“It’s about time and I wish they’d done it sooner. Because it’s been obvious for, what, how long, that they weren’t going to do anything with him [Brian Pillman Jr]. He was not going to be featured on any of the television programs. We don’t what they did on YouTube. But we’ve also heard that the YouTube matches were just, you know, just rapid-fire matches. Just, you know, three minutes with green guys against green guys. […] He wasn’t learning anything.”

Barry Russell
Barry Russell
A dedicated pro wrestling follower for more than a decade

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