Which Recently Released WWE Stars AEW Might Want To Talk To [Opinion]
WWE released the following statement on Thursday, "WWE has come to terms on the release of Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mickie James, Chelsea Green, Tucker, Kalisto, Bo Dallas and Wesley Blake as of today April 15, 2021." Of course, that led to tons of chatter about who AEW might have an interest in.
Keeping in mind that all of these competitors likely have a 90-day non-compete clause that they have to adhere, there are some interesting names on this list. No, AEW won't pick up everyone and we're not likely to see a huge influx of new talent join the roster because of these layoffs, but we can point to a couple that might be of interest.
Related: WWE Releases Multiple Superstars Including Samoa Joe, Billie Kay, And More
First, Samoa Joe is a wrestling legend. While he may not have done everything he set out to do in WWE, he'd be useful in AEW on multiple levels. It's not clear where his injury situation puts him as far as in-ring competition goes, but he's certainly someone AEW will want to talk to.
He's proven himself valuable as an announcer, he's been doing voice work outside of his WWE duties and, even if just as a producer, he's got so much knowledge to share, he'd be an incredible add.
Second, Peyton Royce has a connection with AEW already in that her husband Shawn Spears is a part of The Pinnacle stable led by MJF. It's likely Spears will put in a good word for Royce and AEW could use a couple notable names for their Women's Division. She had a good run with her tag team partner and one has to wonder if her name being added a little later to the list of released names had anything to do with finding out Billie Kay was let go.
Finally, Mickie James could be interesting, because she's a veteran and future Hall of Famer and her husband Nick Aldis has been connected in conversations of an NWA crossover with AEW. "I think Billy (Corgan) and Tony Khan have discussed it, but, I'll be honest with you, I haven't really been that into it because my responsibility and loyalty is to build the value of the NWA," Aldis said (h/t WrestlingNews.co).
The Rest Aren't As Likely
As for the others, they aren't slam dunks. Bo Dallas is living the farm life, Kalisto is as likely to jump to an international promotion as he is a place like AEW and AEW didn't stick with Matt Cardona, so his other half Chelsea Green might not have a clear path to employment.
Keep in mind, AEW may choose to bring aboard none of these talents. They've been hiring a ton of former WWE stars of late and while they're not afraid to acquire those they think will help, hiring too many isn't the best look.
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