Talents jumping ships between AEW and WWE is nothing new. By this time, fans know that when usually a wrestler is singing with Tony Khan, it could mean that s/he is being offered more money and if they want a bigger opportunity for their career, they often move over to WWE. While talking about Wardlow’s future in the wrestling world, Ryback said on his podcast, “I hope he gets an opportunity to go to WWE and have a good run because I think it could be really, really be good for him if he does; if he’s not going to be used properly in AEW...I don’t know what happened with that and I will forever say that might be the biggest mess up there so far.”
Ryback claimed that Wardlow was over with the crowd and had momentum, but Khan unknowingly threw it all away by not booking him properly. He was last seen on AEW Dynamite on the 13th of March. If Wardlow holds the same opinion on his run in AEW, he may also explore other avenues for his future. Nevertheless, Wardlow is not the only wrestler on the roster who has been tipped to leave.
Could Tony Khan lose more than one talent from his disposal?
Ricky Starks is another top star in the wrestling company who hasn’t appeared on AEW programming since March 2024. He was spotted wrestling in AEW’s squared circle for the last time on 30th March. Since then, Starks has been absent from the promotion for some reason. Moreover, there have been no reports about his contract running out with AEW anytime soon.
While he was still being booked in the promotion, critics of the sport weren’t happy with how Tony Khan portrayed Starks on TV. This is why the co-hosts of the Fightful Wrestling Podcast also talked about how it would be better for the wrestler to leave the promotion behind and join some other company instead. There were rumors about him joining WWE, eventually. He enjoys a close bond with the WWE Universal champion Cody Rhodes and this could open up doors for him if he wishes to pursue alternative options. So, maybe Wardlow and Ricky Starks can sign with the leading wrestling company together if they are both unhappy with their roles in Tony Khan’s promotion.
Do you think either of these stars will move out of AEW anytime soon?