Top WWE executive reached out to Marko Stunt after his recent retirement announcement
Marko Stunt never tried out with WWE, but he did debut as an AEW Original in 2019. Amid viral buzz due to his size and gimmick, Stunt found some success in AEW but was released at the end of May 2022 after being off TV for eight months. He recently retired from in-ring action and received a special private message from a legendary WWE official.
Mr. Fun Size quickly became an AEW fan-favorite in Jurassic Express with Luchasaurus aka Killswitch and Jungle Boy aka Jack Perry. Stunt was never booked after AEW Dark on September 29, 2021, and then was let go at the end of May 2022 when his contract was not renewed, reportedly due to a large roster and budget cuts. The 28-year-old announced his in-ring retirement on November 1.
Stunt and his longtime friends are launching Pro Wrestling Adrenaline on November 15. The indie promotion is based in the Memphis and North Mississippi area. Speaking to Love Wrestling, the 6-time indie champion said he just wants to take what he's learned over the last decade and give it back to wrestlers that need the opportunity he's had. Stunt soaked up knowledge from many veterans in AEW, including a major name he briefly shared employers with, William Regal.
WWE's current Vice President of Global Talent Development reached out to Stunt last week after his retirement announcement. The Arkansas native recalled the supportive message he received from Sir William of Blackpool, and touched on how he wants to use the lessons he's learned in his new PWA promotion:
"William Regal reached out to me after I posted everything, and he sent me a long message. I thanked him and everything, and the last thing he said was, 'No need to thank me, if there had not been somebody to guide me at 16-years-old, I would not have been able to do the same thing for you, so pass it along... and that's what I want to do. That's what I want to do, and I think PWA is a place where I'm gonna be able to do that, got a lot of stuff planned," Marko Stunt said. [From 24:29 to 25:14]
Stunt was brought back to AEW for a special Collision match on July 6, 2024. He unsuccessfully answered the Open Challenge issued by TNT Champion Jack Perry, in a match that went just over three minutes.
AEW star talks about future WWE Hall of Fame induction
Shelton Benjamin made his name in WWE and recently had his second run with the company ended as his contract was not renewed. Benjamin has now reunited The Hurt Syndicate in AEW with MVP and Bobby Lashley.
The Gold Standard and Shawn Michaels made magic in the WWE ring, and the NXT boss has been one of Benjamin's supporters for years. Michaels famously praised Benjamin in a December 2022 video to celebrate his 20th anniversary, promising they will keep a Hall of Fame spot warm for him. Speaking to Gabby AF, Benjamin was asked if he sees a WWE induction happening and if it would be the cherry on top of his career:
"It is definitely... it would be a nice touch to the end of a long career. Will it happen? I mean, you know, there was... you know, obviously, Shawn Michaels said they would hold a spot open for you and things like that. I'd like to think that I've made a big enough contribution to the business that I would go in. So, I would love that," Shelton Benjamin said. [From 1:02:23 to 1:02:52]
Benjamin won his AEW debut over Lio Rush, then defeated Sammy Guevara the following week. He was defeated by Swerve Strickland last week.