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In recent years, AEW has struggled to place many talented superstars in a prominent position on television. The Jacksonville-based promotion boasts an incredibly large roster at the moment, filled with plenty of world-class talents.
Unfortunately, many superstars have become dissatisfied with their roles in the Tony Khan-led company in recent times. While the majority of underutilized stars play the waiting game till the end of their contracts, some others stand up against their poor booking and ask for their release.
Over the years, many reports have come up about disgruntled AEW stars requesting a sudden termination of their contracts. However, Tony Khan eventually convinced these stars to continue with All Elite Wrestling, not wanting to lose some great talents to WWE.
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In this article, let's look at three times AEW stars allegedly asked for their release but were denied.
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#3 Malakai Black reportedly had an interest in a WWE return
Malakai Black made an instant impact during his AEW debut in 2021 by taking out Cody Rhodes and Arn Anderson. Following his sudden WWE release, The Dutch Destroyer was focused on making a name for himself in All Elite Wrestling. However, Black soon got lost in the shuffle on an ever-expanding AEW roster.
Despite getting to lead his own faction, the former NXT Champion was kept far away from the main event scene. Black was not booked in singles matches for a considerable amount of time, which further affected his position on the roster.
In September 2022, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that multiple stars had asked for their release from the Tony Khan-led company. Malakai Black was allegedly one of those individuals who wanted out of the Jacksonville-based promotion.
Interestingly, the abovementioned reports surfaced around the same time as Triple H took over as the head of the WWE creative team. The Game's promotion resulted in an improved WWE product, prompting many ex-WWE stars to head back to the Stamford-based promotion.
WWE seemingly had an interest in bringing back The Dutch Destroyer, causing him to allegedly ask for his release from the Jacksonville-based promotion. However, Tony Khan refused to part ways with Malakai Black, as he continues to be a part of All Elite Wrestling in 2024.
#2 Buddy Matthews allegedly asked for his release in 2022
Malakai Black was not the only House of Black member who seemingly requested his AEW release in 2022. With Black's status up in the air, fans were worried about the future of the other members of the House of Black. A few days later, the wrestling world was taken aback when rumors of Buddy Matthews wanting to leave AEW emerged out of the blue.
As per a report from Fightful Select, The Best Kept Secret was allegedly on his way out of All Elite Wrestling in September 2022. During the 2022 edition of AEW Rampage: Grand Slam, Matthews was annihilated by the duo of Sting and The Great Muta, seemingly writing him off television.
The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion was supposedly dissatisfied with his booking, prompting him to look for his way out of the company. Buddy Matthews seemingly wanted to rejoin WWE, hoping to deal with some unfinished business from his previous run.
Ultimately, the reports did not lead to anything, as The Best Kept Secret eventually decided to continue with The House of Black in All Elite Wrestling.
#1 Jack Perry wanted to leave AEW after his brawl with CM Punk
Jack Perry was involved in a backstage altercation with CM Punk at All In 2023. The former FTW Champion came to blows with The Voice of the Voiceless after Punk confronted him for mocking him on live television.
The incident created chaos in All Elite Wrestling, prompting Tony Khan to fire CM Punk from the company. The AEW CEO was seemingly very upset about losing his biggest draw, causing him to vent out his anger on Jack Perry. The reigning TNT Champion was handed an indefinite suspension for putting the company's biggest annual event in a state of jeopardy.
The 27-year-old star was greatly affected by what happened at All In. While Perry did make appearances in NJPW, fans had no information regarding his contract status with All Elite Wrestling. As per reports, Jack Perry apparently asked Tony Khan to terminate his contract, a request that was quickly shot down by the Jacksonville Jaguars' CEO.
Things eventually turned out well for The Scapegoat, as he now finds himself as part of the new Elite. The former Jurassic Express member has gradually risen to the top of the men's division of late, recently winning the TNT Championship at the 2024 Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
