Top AEW star confesses to being stuck in a "limbo"
AEW has had various periods of growth since launching in 2019. This includes the building up of several young talents, and now, one rising star is comparing the company's growth to his own.
Daniel Garcia debuted for All Elite Wrestling in September 2020 and signed one year later. Since then, he's been a part of The Jericho Appreciation Society and held the ROH Pure Championship. He's also had singles wins over Bryan Danielson and Brody King.
The current PWG World Champion suffered from an identity crisis in 2023 and struggled through the inaugural Continental Classic. In a new interview with Adrian Hernandez, Red Death looked back on the last year and compared the company's identity crisis to his own.
"It was great. I feel like AEW was in a transition period over the past couple of months. It almost resembles my character arc. AEW’s arc resembled my character arc for the past year. Everybody knows my story, I was transitioning from a pro wrestler and then became a sports entertainer. I was stuck in limbo between being a sports entertainer and pro wrestler and finding my way," he said. [H/T to Fightful]
The 25-year-old grappler continued:
"I feel like that was the past six months for AEW. AEW kind of went away from its roots for a little bit and was seeming a little sports entertainmentish. Then, the Continental Classic fully brought it back into a pro wrestling product, sports-based product. It was a shot in the arm we needed, and I was glad to be part of that," he said.
Garcia is currently aligned with FTR in a feud against The House of Black. The Buffalo State College graduate will team with Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler to face Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews in a Steel Cage Elimination Trios Match on Saturday's Collision.
Daniel Garcia on his AEW future
AEW has pushed Daniel Garcia as one of their top talents for the future, but it has been confirmed that his contract is coming up soon.
Garcia confirmed after Worlds End that his contract is set to expire this year. While it seems like the 25-year-old would be a lock for a contract renewal, it was reported that officials did not have a new deal ready for the young star as of mid-January.
It's likely that Tony Khan will re-sign the PWG World Champion. He recently spoke with Adrian Hernandez and revealed his hope for the future.
"My contract is up this year. My number one focus is earning another contract and showing that I am someone that can be built around and somebody that can be fully invested in as a top guy. That's my number one priority," he said.
Garcia added that his other priority and goal is to win his first All Elite singles title. Matt Menard recently endorsed his former Jericho Appreciation Society partner for an immediate title match against a top AEW star.
What is your bold prediction for Daniel Garcia in 2024? Do you want to see Garcia win a singles title? Sound off in the comments below!