Former WWE star still has "at least months" left on his AEW contract - Reports
The AEW roster is packed with rookies, rising stars, and veterans. The talent pool makes it hard to keep track of who's coming and going at times. The rumor mill is constantly buzzing about potential releases and debuts, and a status update has just leaked about a notable former WWE star.
Parker Boudreaux began making waves while in college when his appearance and size were compared to a young Brock Lesnar. Even Paul Heyman praised the 6-foot-4 heavyweight as The Next Big Thing, as he had done with Lesnar years ago. After signing a WWE developmental deal in 2021, Parker debuted on WWE NXT as Joe Gacy's bodyguard, going by the name Harland.
WWE officials had high hopes for Boudreaux, but he was released on April 29, 2022. He made a few MLW appearances, then debuted for AEW that July. Rumors began to swirl about Parker's AEW status as his last match was in March 2023, but a new report from Fightful Select suggests that the Florida native is still under contract to Tony Khan's company.
Boudreaux recently went viral after making his AAA debut in Mexico. The 26-year-old referred to the promotion as his "new home," but word now is that AEW signed off on the appearance as he is still signed to a deal. The word from within AEW is that Gunnar Harland has "at least months" left on his contract, despite the fact that he has not appeared in more than a year.
Boudreaux was with the Mogul Embassy faction when he and Trench were sidelined with injuries, and then Boudreaux was removed from the group internally when Trench's contract was not renewed.
Although Boudreaux has recovered from his injury, he has not been brought back to AEW television, and there are currently no creative plans for him. He did attend a recent Dynamite taping.
What Triple H once said about AEW star Parker Boudreaux in WWE
The pro wrestling world was intrigued by college football star Parker Boudreaux when people began comparing him to Brock Lesnar in 2021.
WWE signed the wrestling rookie to an NXT contract amid all the social media buzz, but he was released the very next year. Triple H spoke to Sportskeeda Wrestling at the time of the signing and was asked if he'd be fast-tracked to NXT television and The Game responded by saying one has to be ready to be a performer and train well and safely.
"For all of this, you have to be ready to be a performer. Even Brock Lesnar wasn't a guy like that, as amazing as an athlete that he is like Parker. You got to be trained, you got to know what you are doing. Everything's got to be done safely," Triple H said.
Triple H went on to give an elaborate response about Boudreaux and the buzz surrounding him. WWE's Chief Content Officer also had an interesting reaction to the Brock Lesnar comparisons. Parker wrestled just six matches for NXT before being released.