3 AEW rumors we hope are true and 2 we hope aren't: Kevin Owens and SmackDown star leaving WWE, Tony Khan unlikely to sign Jeff Hardy, Bray Wyatt's potential debut teased?
Welcome back to another exciting edition of AEW rumors that we hope are true and those we hope aren't. While some WWE stars are keen on letting their contracts expire, others have prompted the company to release them. Either way, WWE's loss is undeniably AEW's gain these days.
Today's edition will revolve around reports providing updates over soon-to-be free agents and potential wrestling destinations for them. With that in mind, let's quickly get down to the top rumors of the week.
#5 Hopefully true: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn leaving WWE for AEW
This is not a prediction.
This is a spoiler.
Both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will jump ship to AEW when their contracts are up. Because they are professional wrestlers at heart, and WWE no longer caters to performers like them.
Thoughts? https://t.co/H7auu52RT0
WWE Superstars Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are likely to leave WWE for AEW once their current contracts expire.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that WWE is likely giving sufficient television time to both Owens and Zayn lately so the two stars can happily renew their contracts with the company. However, Meltzer also shed light on their friendships with The Young Bucks and Adam Cole, which could play a pivotal role in them jumping ship over to AEW.
"Owens and Zayn are the two guys people know about whose deals are due soon and obviously both do go back with the Young Bucks, Adam Cole and others to PWG and the indie scene. If nothing else, you’d think they would listen to offers. Both being given more TV time of late is likely due to wanting them to be happy with their push and stay. But on the flip side, if they don’t sign they can use them as names to put over the top people the way the booking is going,'' stated Meltzer.
#OnThisDay in 2014: NXT presented Takeover 3: R-Evolution: Kevin Owens turned on his best friend Sami Zayn after Sami defeated Neville for the NXT Title. https://t.co/lOQji2iZIR
We hope this is true, as Owens and Zayn will be massive additions to the AEW roster. Yes, the current locker room is a mix of some part-timers and rising stars.
But there's no point for Owens and Zayn to stay in WWE, knowing their underutilized status over the past few years. And despite an over-loaded AEW roster, Tony Khan has managed to book almost everyone to their fullest potential so far.