"I mean I was locked in" - Released AEW star hopes he can "inspire" those who are unhappy in Tony Khan's promotion
After signing with the company when it was first established by Tony Khan and The Elite, Frankie Kazarian has left AEW and re-joined IMPACT Wrestling. He hopes now that he can be an inspiration to others on TK's roster who wish to leave.
Frankie Kazarian announced that he had signed a long-term deal with IMPACT Wrestling, leading to widespread belief at the time that he had left AEW. That belief proved to be right when it was later reported that he had asked for the company not to roll over the next two years of his contract, thus releasing him from the promotion.
Speaking on his departure with 411 Mania, Kazarian described his time with AEW as being "locked in" before saying he would like to inspire others lost in the shuffle and unhappy with their positions in the company.
"I mean, a lot of the guys are locked in for a while. I mean I was locked in...But again, if I can fall on the sword, quote unquote, to give people inspiration if they feel like they are sitting on the bench when they should be on the starting lineup, if me doing what I did can inspire somebody to kind of raise their hand and say, 'Hey, what about me? This isn't what I signed up to do', then that's great." - Frankie Kazarian said. (H/T WrestlingNews.co)
Well, 2023 is off to a wild start. Thank you all for your love and support all these years. There is SO much on the horizon for this year and beyond. I invite you to continue along this journey with me. Iām just getting started! Onward and upward š¤š¼
Kazarian appeared for IMPACT Wrestling multiple times while under his deal with Tony Khan. He notably challenged for the World title after winning the X-Division Championship towards the end of 2022.
Frankie Kazarian had a major role leading into AEW Double or Nothing 2022
It's official, Scorpio Sky, Ethan Page & the debuting Paige Van Zant vs Sammy Guevara, Frankie Kazarian & Tay Conti in a Trios Mixed Match at Double Or Nothing. #AEWRampage #AEWDoN https://t.co/CWn85JMEmc
As well as making a splash on his return to IMPACT Wrestling, Kazarian was also an aspect of a major program in the lead-in to Double or Nothing. The inaugural AEW tag champ challenged his former partner, Scorpio Sky, for the TNT title after he had won the belt from Sammy Guevara.
He was unsuccessful in his challenge, joining Guevara and Tay Conti on their own pursuit of vengeance on Sky, Ethan Page, and debuting ex-UFC flyweight Paige VanZant. That led to a trios match at the Double or Nothing event, which Sky, Page and PVZ won.
Kazarian wrestled his final match for the company during December's Dark tapings.
What do you make of Kazarian's words? Share your thoughts in the comments below.