After Miro, 4 stars who could shockingly ask for their release from AEW

Earlier today, a major report dropped mentioning how Miro has just asked for his release from AEW amidst his absence from the promotion. He has not been seen on-screen since December.

The former TNT Champion has dealt with some injuries to begin the year, but it has been reported that he has been healthy. The issue has been with him and the company not getting on the same page regarding his creative booking. This may have been a major factor in his asking for a release.

After being with the company since 2020, Miro could be on the way out of AEW if his request for a release is granted. Who are some other stars that may ask for their releases soon?

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#1. Ricky Starks makes the first step toward WWE

One name that has been linked to WWE for several months now has been Ricky Starks. Apart from him sharing close relationships with several names on the roster, AEW has not utilized him lately, fueling speculation.

Currently, it was reported that Starks is still under contract with AEW, so it remains to be seen if a window of opportunity for him to request a release is still viable. Should this not be doable, he may look to wait till his contract expires.

But there is surely a high chance of him jumping ship to WWE when all is said and done, seeing as there does not seem to be any immediate creative plans in store for him.

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#2. Wardlow finally breaks free from AEW

Another big name that has been underutilized by the Tony Khan-led promotion has been Wardlow. He has shown great dominance in the ring and has proven that he is worthy of constantly being in the major title scenes, but he has yet to remain at the top.

Last year, his reign as the TNT Champion came to a short end, and he was seen around four months later. Despite being a member of the Undisputed Kingdom and rising to a world title opportunity, he fell short. This happened back in March, and he has not had a match since.

It was reported that he was not dealing with an injury and was just not being used on-screen. Seeing as his stablemates have been constantly on TV, there is no reason for his absence to take this long. This may force him to ask for a release in hopes of finding better creative booking elsewhere.

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#3. Malakai Black explores new heights in WWE

Malakai Black rose to popularity in the wrestling industry due to his great run in NXT. He became the brand's champion and put on great matches with several world-class stars. He had a brief run on the main roster, but this was short-lived, as he eventually went to AEW after he was released.

In AEW, he was presented as an ominous force and quickly became the leader of the House of Black. While the faction has always been on top of the trios' division, he has not made any significant advances in terms of his singles career. All his achievements have come from tag team or trios runs.

He may look to prioritize his singles career and choose to request a release from AEW. Seeing as his wife, Zelina Vega, is in WWE, this could be another major reason for him to want to jump ship. This time around, Malakai could have a more significant main roster run should Triple H bring him in.

#4. Keith Lee will aim to pick up the momentum he lost

Similar to Malakai Black, Keith Lee can be regarded as one of those who had an impressive run in NXT. He was one of the big names who helped the brand shoot up in terms of credibility, as they brought the fight during the brand wars against RAW and SmackDown.

During the pandemic, he picked up great momentum, holding both the North American and NXT Championships at one point. He looked to be a formidable addition to the main roster but never really took off.

The Limitless One joined AEW in 2022, and although he has added a reign as the World Tag Team Champion to his list of accolades, he has yet to make any singles advances.

A week ago, his wife Michin posted a picture of them, along with Big E and her sister. This brought about several comments regarding a potential return to WWE. Seeing how stacked the roster is, he could reunite with his wife and go for a better run on the main roster since the last time he was there.

WWE has pushed towards a new golden era. With several names set to join its rosters, this may be the perfect time for some AEW stars to jump ship and join in the fun. It remains to be seen who these will be and whether Tony Khan will grant their requests.