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As AEW continues to grow and expand as a promotion, it is inevitable that the contracts of several company originals will come up soon. While the likes of The Young Bucks have taken up the option of extending their contracts, others such as Cody and Brandi Rhodes have decided to let it expire instead.
With television time at a premium and newer signings taking up the spotlight, such as Keith Lee, Jeff Hardy, Adam Cole, Bryan Danielson, and CM Punk, some originals might start to reconsider their options. Here are five AEW stars who could leave once their contracts expire for one reason or another.
#5. AEW commentator Jim Ross (April 2022)
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Jim Ross will go down in history as one of the greatest wrestling announcers of all time. He voiced some of the most crucial moments of the Attitude Era and is deservedly in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Good old JR joined All Elite Wrestling back in its inception in 2019. Since then, the veteran has contributed to the commentary booth while helping to put over the company's young roster.
However, the legendary announcer recently revealed that he is nearing the end of his current contract with AEW. Jim Ross signed a three-year deal in April 2019 to serve as an announcer and senior advisor. The WWE Hall of Famer's contract is coming up in the spring of this year.
Speaking recently with JMart and Ramon, Jim Ross stated that he is looking to stay with the company despite his advancing age:
"My contract is up soon. I'm not looking to go anywhere, but nonetheless, I'm 70. I have to be realistic at some point in my crazy ass life. I haven't been. My late wife would say, 'Amen to that. He's a character.' I'm loving what I'm doing. It's still fun for me. As long as you keep that element in the place of work, you're alright and doing good," said JR. (H/Fightful).
While having JR's experience is always an asset to any company, perhaps Tony Khan should consider letting him ride off into the sunset and enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
#4. AEW wrestler Joey Janela (May 2022)
Another AEW original whose contract seems to be concluding is Joey Janela. He was one of the featured performers at the beginning of the company's existence and appeared regularly in matches against the likes of Cody Rhodes and Jon Moxley.
But as the promotion continued to expand and add more talent, the Bad Boy slid down the card and disappeared off television completely. He would go on to wrestle almost exclusively in Dark and Elevation.
Speaking to Denise Salcedo, Joey Janela stated that his AEW career has been marred by bad luck and that the company gradually stopped reaching out to him. However, The Bad Boy clarified that he wasn't bitter or mad at anyone and that he had a "wonderful" time in All Elite Wrestling over the last three years:
"I’ve had a string of bad luck throughout my AEW career and that may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back but I don’t know because they don’t communicate with me. They did the same thing to Marko Stunt. They just stopped talking to him. I am not sad, I am not mad, I am not mad at anyone, I had a wonderful experience,” said Joey Janela. [H/T - Cagesideseats]
Joey Janela never fully reached his potential in the company, and it makes sense for both parties to part ways.
#3. Jurassic Express member Marko Stunt (early 2022)
There has been an update regarding the contract situation with Jurassic Express member Marko Stunt. Despite not being featured on television for several months, Stunt is determined to prove himself and remain a member of the roster.
His role as the valet and manager of the current Tag Team Champions has essentially been replaced by Christian Cage. With his contract expiring in May 2022, it seems like the company is content to let his deal run out.
It was also stated by fellow AEW star Joey Janela that the company has not spoken to Stunt in several months, with Janela going as far as to say that AEW has "ghosted" the youngster. It's disappointing that Tony Khan would choose to go radio silent on wrestlers that have their contracts coming up, but it seems likely that Stunt's career in the company is over.
#2. Former AEW Tag Team Champions FTR (July 2022)
FTR might be former Tag Team Champions in All Elite Wrestling and are featured members of The Pinnacle, but it still feels like their AEW career has reached its potential. Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood reportedly signed a "multi-year" deal with the company in July 2020, but it's been revealed that their contracts are expiring soon.
Speaking on the Barstool Rasslin' podcast, Dax Harwood said that the duo does not have a ton of time to accomplish everything they want to in the company. However, he explained that the team is going to use this race against time as motivation for them to be more aggressive.
"Because we don’t have very much longer on these current contracts. I don’t know what’s going to happen from there, but we have a short amount of time to accomplish the things we want to accomplish," said Dax Harwood.
This WrestleMania weekend, FTR will feature in a dream match against The Briscoe Brothers at the ROH Supercard of Honor event. Hopefully, the former champions can have one more run with the AEW tag team titles, which might convince them to remain with Tony Khan's company beyond their current deal.
#1. AEW star MJF (2024)
MJF is one of the hottest topics in professional wrestling at the moment, and it's anyone's guess where he will end up once his current deal with All Elite Wrestling ends. The Salt of the Earth has made his feelings regarding his contractual status loud and clear, and with his contract set to expire in 2024, it is no surprise that MJF has attracted interest from WWE.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, MJF opened up about his contractual situation:
"I'm not gonna get into that, but I'm sure you can imagine that. Tony Khan is a billionaire. Tony Khan is a very intelligent man. Tony Khan's doing everything he can to make sure that his heaviest hitters sticking around." (42:40-42:59)
MJF is clearly playing coy, so he will have the upper hand when it comes to contract negotiations. Don't be surprised to see the three-time Dynamite Diamond Ring winner leave the company once his deal runs out and join the opposition if the money is good.
