AEW star recalls reaching out to Tony Khan immediately after WWE release
Usually, in wrestling, people like AEW President Tony Khan need to be patient when it comes to signing recently released talent from companies like WWE. However, one current member of Khan's roster has admitted he got in contact with him straight away.
The man in question is FTR's Dax Harwood, who, along with tag team partner Cash Wheeler, made his AEW debut in May 2020. Multiple rumors previously suggested that both men were heading to All Elite Wrestling following their exit from WWE.
FTR, then known as The Revival, was granted their release from WWE in April 2020, a full 15 months after they initially requested them in January 2019. Their original contracts with WWE were set to expire in June 2020, but when the company found out they wouldn't sign new deals, the duo was let go.
BREAKING: Effective today, Friday, April 10, 2020, WWE and The Revival have agreed on their immediate release from WWE. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors. wwe.com/article/scott-…
Given their quick turnaround from The Revival to FTR, how long did it take them to get in contact with AEW? Speaking on his podcast, FTR with Dax, the former Scott Dawson admitted he wanted to talk to The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Tony Khan a few days before his release was finalized.
“The day that Mark Carrano called us, so two days before the announcement [of the Revival’s release from WWE] was made online, he called us and said ‘you don’t have to give us an answer right now, talk about it, give me a call back.’ I called Cash. We said, should we talk to Cody, or the Bucks, or Tony Khan? He said yeah, let’s do that."
Dax Harwood elaborated by saying that as soon as FTR's WWE release was official and a public announcement was made, he was right on the phone with the AEW President.
“We called Mark Carrano, yes, we agree to your terms. Please give us our release, and thank you.” So he gave us our release. The following day, whenever the contracts were cut and we got the paperwork from Mark Carrano that said we were officially released, is when we started talking contracts with Tony Khan.” (H/T SEScoops)
Tony Khan has given FTR an extended period of time away from AEW
After one of the busiest years of their respective careers, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler have been given the chance by AEW president Tony Khan to relax and regroup. The duo has been away from the company's programming since the turn of the new year. Here's what Harwood said on his podcast in January 2023:
"We have asked and been granted the next few months off of television so we can sit back, reflect, decide, let our bodies heal and figure out what we are going to do for the next few years, because whatever we decided to do next will be the absolute last thing we do.” (H/T SEScoops)
There it is!
Naomi, Mercedes, FTR, and Bayley at Wrestle Kingdom. 🥲 https://t.co/u8734o07PH
FTR's most recent match was at the Wrestle Kingdom 17 event for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During the show, they lost their IWGP World Tag Team Championship to Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI. They are yet to appear on AEW TV in 2023 but rest assured they will be back in the ring better than ever in the near future.
Do you think FTR will leave AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below.