Pro Wrestling Contract Season

[Devon Malcolm]

There's absolutely no way she goes to WWE and ends up stuck with nothing to do in NXT or propping up the card on Raw or Smackdown. That might have happened in the past but not today.

I don't think she wants to leave AEW at all. But she's got to be looking at how Stephanie Vaquer has been used since going there. From the outset presented as a big deal in NXT, quickly wins both their singles titles, is fast-tracked on to Raw for high profile matches and is immediately popular and over, and looking a major star. Willow's got even more upside than Stephanie. Last time I was paying attention to AEW, she was almost never on TV or PPVs and only occasionally appeared to run after Marina Shafir. I don't know if that's changed now but if it hasn't then the move is more likely than not, I'd say. She would be given the star treatment in WWE.

[RedTwoster]

11 minutes ago, Devon Malcolm said:

Last time I was paying attention to AEW, she was almost never on TV or PPVs and only occasionally appeared to run after Marina Shafir. I don't know if that's changed now but if it hasn't then the move is more likely than not, I'd say. She would be given the star treatment in WWE.

That’s definitely changed, but not to the extent that would make me certain that she’ll stay. It’s very much a coin toss to me.

Having said that, AEW has done a very good job with its women’s division recently, giving key stars like Willow the chance to shine, and really pushing key storylines. It’s disappointing that a women’s match has yet to headline a PPV, but at the moment, the AEW women’s division is very enjoyable indeed. It’s not that afterthought that it once was.

[LaGoosh]

Worth noting that when someone's contract is coming up AEW typically bench them until they sign a new one or the contract expires. I'm pretty certain it's why the Gunns have completely disappeared despite being healthy - they're probably a dead cert for WWE.

Willow is still getting booked pretty regularly, had a key spot in the final moments of Spring Break-Thru and is going to almost certainly be involved in the main event of Double or Nothing. So maybe they're confident she's staying.

But if the most genuinely likeable natural babyface ends up in that shitty cesspool WWE, where babyfaces are booked like completely stupid arseholes and has to have boring awful matches each week, I'll be pretty miserable. But AEW would only have itself to blame.

Edited May 10, 2025 by LaGoosh

[Guest]

SRS has reported that Willow has resigned with AEW, so we can all wipe the sweat from our collective brows.

[LaGoosh]

Best news of the year.

[RedTwoster]

Great news, and I hope it’s swiftly followed by Mariah May choosing to sign back up. 

Like Willow, she’ll be a megastar no matter where she goes, but she’s been such an important part of making the AEW women’s roster what it is today that I’d be sad to see her leave. 

[BrodyGraham]

I'd be very surprised if the Mariah speculation isn't an MJF style work. That said, I'm routinely wrong on these things!

[LaGoosh]

Apparently Jericho's AEW contract is coming up in October. I think it's very important that he goes back to WWE for one last run. Very important. 

[Supremo]

The Talk Is Jericho podcast with Triple H, Punk, Stephanie and Jericho pretending they don’t all hate each other will be vomit inducing.

Expect the worst and you’ll never be disappointed. Chris Jericho costs Hangman Adam Page the title at All In, announcing a new three year deal at the post-show press conference.

[DavidB6937]

I'd find it hilarious if Jericho turns up on an episode of Raw absolutely shredded because they refused to put him on TV with his dad bod.

Sparkly jacket. We all just made the list. Where's Chris been all these years?

[Infinity Land]

Chris Jericho certainly hasn't been missed since he disappeared, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Not sure where he'd fit in modern WWE for anything other than a short run. So how about play to his ego. Make him the face of the AAA rebrand.

In other news Abadon and Bear Bronson are finishing up with AEW/ROH. Might be others that become public with the turn of the month.

[Chili]

If he leaves, the nerve of Jericho to just leave without doing a job to Big Bill on the way out and stuff. Hope his wife becomes even more mental.

[RedTwoster]

4 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

In other news Abadon and Bear Bronson are finishing up with AEW/ROH. Might be others that become public with the turn of the month.

Abadon is someone who could benefit from time in NXT. They have a great look, but the gimmick itself isn’t exactly fleshed out, and their in ring ability doesn’t match up with the image. Time to do that could prove beneficial, and that kind of character may well be a better fit in WWE anyway. I could see them getting snapped up by TNA, and ending up in WWE through that partnership - a bit like how Jordynne Grace has and Joe Hendry likely will.

It’s unfortunate that Bear Bronson has been affected by the actions of his partner, but even if that hadn’t happened, I’m not entirely sure the pair of them would have remained with the company anyway, the Iron Savages were never really used and I couldn’t tell you if they were actually any good. 

4 hours ago, Infinity Land said:

Chris Jericho certainly hasn't been missed since he disappeared, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

It’s amazing how much of a difference one man’s absence can make. Even Adam Cole feels less intolerable. He was integral to AEW during its early days and was involved in some of its greatest ever moments, but the hole he’s now in has been dug by him and only him. I’ve no idea whether he’ll go back to WWE, or whether Tony Khan has a loyalty towards him that he feels should be rewarded with a retirement run, but I do hope we’ve seen the last of him in AEW. 

[Mr_Danger]

Jericho vs LA Knight. Forever. Goosebumps.

[LaGoosh]

1 hour ago, RedTwoster said:

Iron Savages were never really used and I couldn’t tell you if they were actually any good

They were not good. Their gimmick was incredibly weird and confusing. They were tough biker dudes who were also really sexual and would threaten to lick their opponents arseholes.