38-year-old star may have decided to leave AEW after possibly being denied a spot in the powerful backstage "kliq," WWE legend says (Exclusive)

A WWE legend has speculated that a 38-year-old star who is set to leave AEW at the end of the year might have chosen to leave the company due to not being part of a backstage 'kliq.'

The star in question is QT Marshall, who announced at the end of November 2023 that he would be finishing up with All Elite Wrestling at the end of the year and moving on to the next chapter in his career.

Marshall has been a part of AEW since the early days of 2019 when he was brought in as both an on-screen talent and a backstage hand. He would go on to have feuds against the likes of Cody Rhodes, Orange Cassidy, and Hook.

A WWE legend feels as if there's something deeper behind QT's departure. Speaking on the latest edition of "The Wrestling Time Machine" with Mac Davis and Bill Apter, Teddy Long feels that Marshall might have been promised some things that were never given to him.

“Because you’re listening to other people I just finished telling you that. QT [Marshall], I never met the guy—well I could have met him over time I don’t know, but like I said I really don’t know him. I’m just saying hearing you speak a little bit about his background and all the power he had there in AEW, well he may have got that power if somebody promised him ‘hey we’re going to give you this and we’re going to move you to this.”

Teddy feels as if QT might not have been part of a 'kliq' backstage, meaning that he was simply overlooked when it came to major decisions, influencing his eventual decision to leave the company.

“As soon as the ‘kliq’ got started and he wasn’t part of the ‘kliq’ then he sees what happens. So how can you go from all this power now you got there, to resigning? We don’t know the whole story, but like I said maybe he just wasn’t their guy I don’t know.” [From o4:45 to 05:30]

Check out the entire episode of The Wrestling Time Machine right here:

QT Marshall is seemingly done with AEW already

Despite claiming that he was finishing up with All Elite Wrestling at the end of 2023, it seems that QT Marshall's journey with the company might have already come to an end.

Fightful Select recently reported that QT has effectively finished up with All Elite Wrestling already, stating that the former AAA Latin American Champion hasn't been at any of the company's recent shows.

Due to the fact that QT will be leaving the company at the end of his contract rather than being released, he won't have a non-compete clause attached to him, meaning that he will be able to explore the wider world of wrestling as soon as 2024 arrives.

Will you miss seeing QT Marshall in AEW? Let us know in the comments section below!

Please credit "The Wrestling Time Machine" and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling when using quotes from this article.