Could William Regal sign with AEW following his WWE release?
When WWE releases talent, speculation almost immediately starts swirling around AEW. The professional wrestling world was once again left reeling after news broke of a number of backstage personnel being released from WWE NXT.
One of the most high-profile names in this round of releases was longtime NXT general manager William Regal. His release ended a 22-year stretch with WWE dating back to September 2000.
The outpouring of support from people inside the industry upon hearing the news of Regal's release has generated a lot of attention. This has caused a lot of speculation as to whether the former WWE Intercontinental Champion could show up in AEW.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has weighed in with his opinion on whether or not a move to AEW would be good for William Regal. He also referenced the likelihood of Regal joining the promotion, citing Tony Khan's vision for the company:
"With AEW, it’s hard to say. On paper, Regal would be a great hire with having wrestling, training and administrative experience. If they wanted a authority figure for TV, there would be no one better. However, in the past they’ve made it pretty clear they don’t want a TV authority figure. They’ve made it clear that Tony Khan is the booker and Khan almost never appears on TV in angles because his vision of pro wrestling doesn’t have that figure," said Dave Meltzer.
William Regal at the next
AEW Blood & Guts…
“BLOOD AND GUTS!” https://t.co/gixytHALdZ
Several long-term figures and well-known names were released alongside Regal by WWE. The releases included referee Scott Armstrong, longtime coach Ace Steel and WWE Hall of Famer Road Dogg.
Road Dogg's "New Age Outlaws" partner in crime Billy Gunn is enjoying a decent level of success in AEW. It will be very interesting to see if fans see the former WWE Tag Team Champions back in the ring for one last time.
AEW have a dream signing in the pipeline
Despite already having a loaded roster, AEW President Tony Khan has teased another high-profile signing in the first portion of 2022.
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
This new "dream signing" is said to be North American and their announcement seems imminent. Tony Khan has already revealed Jake Atlas as the first signing to AEW in 2022, and we are sure to see more roster additions throughout the year. The only way fans will be able to see this "dream signing" appear is by tuning in to AEW programming every single week.