Elias signs multi-year contract extension with WWE
Elias is the latest addition to the list of WWE Superstars who have recently signed contract extensions with the company. During the Satin Sheet news portion of WWE Backstage, insider Ryan Satin confirmed that the Drifter had signed a multi-year contract extension to stay with the company (although specific details were not provided).
The Drifter's path so far
Elias has been both a heel and a face during his time on the main roster. He initially wasn't too successful in NXT as fans chanted at him to "drift away." Once he hit the main roster, however, things took off. His segments were routinely the most entertaining parts of the show he was on, so much so that he became a crowd favorite despite being a heel.
Instead of being placed in prominent title feuds, he was used in segments wherein he performed songs about his rivals or the town the show was being hosted in. Those songs and segments in fact led to increased popularity and more fan love for the Superstar. It even gave the Drifter the permission to say that WWE stands for 'Walk With Elias.'
Interrupting Elias soon became the norm as both John Cena and Edge returned at various points in 2019 to shut him up. Cena came back to confront the Drifter at WrestleMania 35 whereas Edge surprised everyone with an appearance (and a spear) at SummerSlam. After the news of the deal broke on WWE Backstage, the company also confirmed the same in a tweet:
What does the future hold?
Right now, WWE is fully stacked with talent. All brands in the company -- from NXT to SmackDown to RAW to NXT UK -- are loaded with stars who could be considered to be the future of the company. The likes of Aleister Black, Buddy Murphy, Andrade, and King Corbin have all had strong starts to the new year. Drew McIntyre has also been reinvigorated, and it looks like 2020 may be his year after all.
One thing that would validate Elias' popularity would be to finally have him win a mid-card title. Just like Braun Strowman, he is over regardless of his wins and losses. But sometimes simply being over isn't enough and talented performers deserve a run with a title. It will be hard to do in such a talented roster but Elias has proven to be more than ready to be an important building block for the future.
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