The Elite seriously considered joining WWE; a secret backstage pact might have kept them in AEW! - Reports
The Elite have committed their futures to All Elite Wrestling after signing new multi-year deals with the company, but what pact did they make together that might have kept them in AEW?
No one could have imagined one of the founders of AEW jumping ship to WWE, but that's what happened with Cody Rhodes in 2022. So when the news broke about Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page potentially letting their contracts expire, people thought that maybe the impossible might happen again.
However, shortly before the 200th episode of AEW Dynamite hit the airwaves, it was announced that The Elite had all signed new deals with the company, with the group even mentioning the news on that night's show.
The Elite are staying right here in AEW!
Watch #AEWDynamite200 LIVE on TBS! pic.twitter.com/2Up5OqLClP
But according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, the group had made a pact with each other that they would all stick together, regardless of if they stayed with AEW or joined WWE. Here's what he had to say:
“One thing as far as the signing goes had made a pact that they were going to stick together. Whether it would be in WWE or AEW, and they had basically made an agreement that it was going to be a majority rule. It had gone back-and-forth, but essentially—I don’t know if it was three of the four or four of the four made the deal, but they all had agreed that they were going to go together as a group, either to WWE or stay as a group [in AEW].” [8:47-9:23]
Now that the group is sticking with AEW, what will the future hold for them? Only time will tell!
WWE legally couldn't make an offer to The Elite either!
Despite a lot of expected interest from WWE, The Elite decided to stick with AEW. But one thing that worked in All Elite Wrestling's favor was that World Wrestling Entertainment would be breaking the law if they made an offer.
According to Dave Meltzer, due to the fact that The Elite is still under contract with AEW, WWE wasn't legally allowed to approach any member of the group with an official offer.
Happy the Elite have re-signed with AEW. I am more compelled by what the AEW (and extended universe) versions of Hangman, Kenny, and the Bucks look like than the prospective WWE versions, which is what it comes down to for me.
Hope those boys got PAID too.
It's been well documented that WWE has had a lot of interest in Kenny Omega in particular, with rumors of a potential match at WrestleMania 41 with Roman Reigns even getting thrown around. But it seems that for the foreseeable future at least, the 'E' in WWE will stand for 'Entertainment' and not 'Elite.'
Are you happy to see The Elite stay with AEW? Let us know in the comments section below!
Please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.