Former WWE Superstar reportedly not returning to Tony Khan's AEW after being sidelined with a major injury
Former WWE Superstar Jake Atlas reportedly won't be returning to All Elite Wrestling after being sidelined with a torn ACL injury.
Atlas jumped ship to Tony Khan's promotion after he initially announced his retirement from wrestling after his WWE release in 2021. Only a week after his AEW debut, he took on Adam Cole in a gruelling match. The former gymnast unfortunately suffered a torn ACL injury and has been out of action ever since.
As per Fightful, the former NXT talent isn't likely to register his return to the promotion. It was also revealed that Jake Atlas was on a "per-appearance" deal that was “paused” after his injury:
"Intially, we were told by AEW higher ups that they were hopeful his injury was not as bad as feared. Despite having received an "All Elite" graphic generally reserved for full-time signings, we've heard from multiple AEW sources that claimed Jake Atlas was on a per-appearance deal. When he was injured, that deal was paused and Atlas was no longer officially tied to the company."
Adam Cole defeats Jake Atlas with a leg lock after Atlas injured himself on a springboard.
This was a very good opener until that injury. Sucks for Atlas who just signed with the promotion. #AEWRampage
Tony Khan reveals the qualities he looks for before signing new talent
AEW President Tony Khan is well-known for giving talented wrestlers who may have been underappreciated a chance to shine. He did the same for Jake Atlas when he opened his checkbook for the once retired WWE Superstar. The 28-year old impressed Khan in his tryout bout against Serpentico, which led to the boss signing a deal with Atlas.
Jake Atlas was the first AEW signing of 2022. Speaking to "Rasslin" on Barstool Sports, Tony Khan revealed the qualities he looks for in a wrestler before he offers them a deal, Here's what he had to say:
"There’s in ring ability, there’s professionalism, that’s very important that’s number one. The first word in professional wrestler is professional you know. I think in ring ability, charisma, promos you know and looking for a combination of these." (Read more here)
Congratulations on winning your tryout match last night, Jake Atlas! What a great @AEW debut, and now @kennymarquez, I’ll see you Tomorrow night in Newark at the debut of #AEWDynamite on @TBSNetwork! Safe travels, and…
Welcome to the team!
#JakeAtlas is All Elite! https://t.co/b9oDuGLZWZ
Injuries like a torn ACL are hard for any performer to deal with. The path to recovery takes longer to traverse as it takes a toll on both physical and mental well-being.
It's safe to say that Jake Atlas has the caliber to become one of the brightest stars in pro-wrestling should he return. We at Sportskeeda wish him a speedy recovery.
Please credit Fightful and give a H/T to Sportskeeda when using quotes from this article.