WWE's reported interest in major AEW talent could have ended in "disaster," says Dave Meltzer
The "war" between AEW and WWE has notably escalated over the past few months, with interest in top stars of the Jacksonville-based promotion from the Stamford-based promotion being widely reported upon. According to rumors, they were very interested in acquiring The Elite, which Dave Meltzer describes as a disaster waiting to happen.
For weeks, it was unclear whether or not Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks would remain with AEW or not. However, last week it was announced that the three men, along with Hangman Page, all extended their contracts, squashing these speculations.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, if AEW fumbled with the factions' contracts, WWE would've gained a major victory over the promotion.
"If all four left at the same time, that would be a disaster. It gave them a lot of leverage on both sides. The thing is, they didn't even play it down to the wire because, at the end, I think Tony recognized what a disaster it would be [if they left]... They are willing to spend a lot of money right now in keeping talent and I think they are very bullish on the growth of the company in certain ways." (H/T: WrestlingINC).
Meltzer also reported that Kenny Omega specifically was on WWE's list of "most wanted" acquisitions and would likely have gone on to be a major star in the promotion.
Missed out on Saturday's AEW Collision? Catch up with the results right here.
Konnan believes that the former AEW Trios Champions will enter into a feud with CM Punk soon
While fans seem to be tired of news surrounding the ongoing issues between The Elite and CM Punk, a feud between the parties could still draw. Konnan and Disco Inferno seem to believe this is the case and recently discussed Omega teasing that he'd jump to Collision after being re-signed.
During a recent episode of Keepin' It 100, Konnan also suggested that Tony Khan gave the men a raise with the stipulation that they enter into a program with CM Punk.
"I'm thinking that he gave all of them a raise, and he said, 'We're going to do this, but we need to do something with CM Punk. We need to fix it. We need to go to Collision and do business, or he needs to come here.'" (12:11 onward).
However, it remains to be seen if the men will enter into a major storyline at some point or not and whether it's too late for fans to still care. Only time will tell, but the focus seems to be on AEW All In right now.