AEW News Roundup - Superstar denied release by WWE, Jim Ross makes big Randy Orton claim, Dustin Rhodes spotted with a major free agent - 24th May 2021
We welcome you all to the inaugural edition of the AEW News Roundup, in which we will compile all the biggest news stories coming out of All Elite Wrestling.
A top AEW star revealed how WWE denied her release for a long time as they didn't want her to join Tony Khan's promotion. Jim Ross recently made a big statement about Randy Orton, and the comments have kicked off quite a fiery debate online. JR also revealed who will be the next breakout star in AEW during a recent interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling.
A highly sought-after free agent was recently spotted with Dustin Rhodes, giving rise to speculation about a potential AEW move. Hikaru Shida has also reached a massive milestone ahead of her Women's World Title defense against Britt Baker.
Dax Harwood's recent social media activity also turned many heads as he voiced his frustrations against AEW management. Was it a shoot or a work? We got an incredibly amusing answer!
The AEW News Roundup ends with a story about QT Marshall condemning WWE's decision to release a star who has been on a hot streak of late in AEW. On that note, here is the AEW News Roundup:
#7 Tay Conti reveals WWE denied her release, reason why the company didn't want her to go to AEW
Tay Conti has been positioned as one of the top names in AEW's women's division, and WWE's decision to release her as part of the budget cuts does seem like a bad one now in hindsight.
However, it has now been revealed WWE blocked Tay Conti's release on multiple occasions before letting her go out of the blue.
The Brazilian superstar appeared on the latest episode of AEW Unrestricted and revealed that WWE specifically told her about not joining AEW.
The company's higher-ups felt that they had invested a lot of money in Tay Conti, and her potential to become a main event mainstay was undeniable. WWE saw Conti as a star and wasn't willing to let go of her services.
However, Tay was unhappy with her standing in the company as she rarely got used to TV. After her attempts to leave were shot down by WWE, the former NXT star decided to stay for the remainder of her two-year contract.
"I remember they told me, 'No, you're not gonna go to AEW. 'We put a lot of money on you. You are star blah, blah, blah.' I'm like, 'Yes, you guys don't use me here. So I gotta go somewhere, but it's not there. I know nobody there. I have no plans to go to AEW.' I had no plans because I had no contacts at all. At end of the day, we figured it out. They said no, and I still had two years in my contract. And I was like, well, what I'm (sic) gonna do. I'm gonna be here." continued Conti.
WWE abruptly released Tay Conti along with many other talents in April 2020, and she was admittedly surprised by the phone call she got about the news.
"Out of nowhere, they called me because of — I mean, not out of nowhere. Everybody knew what was going on because of COVID, but I was not expecting the call since we were okay. They told me 'we are finally letting you go' not in a really good, I don't how to explain it without being too mean, they're not too nice." said Conti (H/t WrestlingInc)
Conti has thrived as a performer ever since joining AEW. Even though she has been unsuccessful in capturing the company's top women's title, championship glory shouldn't be too far away for the 25-year-old wrestler.