WWE reportedly "tried to make a play" for major AEW act
It has just been reported that before signing a new long-term deal with AEW over the past week, WWE showed great interest in two top AEW stars. This would be both Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana.
During the Zero Hour pre-show ahead of All In, the former AEW World Champion was shown signing his new contract alongside Tony Khan as they made this move now official. It was then reported that the deal drawn up was set to last until 2028.
In a recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer revealed that ahead of him signing his new multi-year deal with AEW, WWE also showed great interest and reportedly made moves in hopes of signing both Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana.
“Based on what we’ve been told, this deal locks him up through September 2029. It was well known that WWE tried to make a play for the Strickland & Prince Nana act. The deal was reportedly agreed to a few weeks back but they saved the announcement for here... People were talking about how Strickland has become a rich man with the new deal, and it’s believed to be among the biggest deals in pro wrestling although would be well below the Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton level.” [H/T WrestleTalk]
The Triple H-led promotion fell short, as agreements between Swerve and AEW came to fruition a few weeks ago.
WWE has an interesting reaction to Swerve Strickland's new AEW contract
Apart from the duration of the contract, it was also reported that Swerve's new deal with Tony Khan's promotion is set to be one of the biggest in the promotion's history.
WWE's internal reaction to this was also revealed via Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. He talked about how the company feels like these bigger deals may end up being bad for the business as they are paying wrestlers way more than what they deemed their value to be previously.
Swerve was previously signed with the Stamford-based promotion, but he left the company and became a bigger star with AEW.
This may have been the basis of their statement, as he may not have been a high-value star at the time. Swerve's deal may set a precedent for talent across the industry.