Departed AEW star claims he wasn't "valued" in Tony Khan's promotion

On January 13, IMPACT Wrestling held their "Hard to Kill" pay-per-view event, where it was announced that former AEW star Frankie Kazarian had re-signed with the promotion. He has been a mainstay on Tony Khan's roster since the company's inception in 2019.

Frankie Kazarian, who was a strong presence in the early days of AEW, saw his TV time diminish as the company's focus shifted to other talents. Kazarian discussed his departure from the company and his decision to return to IMPACT Wrestling in an interview with Eric Bischoff on AdFreeShows.com.

During a recent interview, the former ROH Tag Team Champion Frankie Kazarian expressed that he felt underappreciated in AEW and decided to leave and take his talents back to IMPACT Wrestling.

Kazarian stated that he wanted his time to be valued, and he didn't feel like it was happening in the Jacksonville-based promotion:

"I wanted to give that time to somebody that would value it. I felt at the time in AEW, my time, my contributions, and my talent was not being valued and that's okay because I had the opportunity to take my time and give it to somebody else and that's exactly what I did," Kazarian said.

Kaz shared that he turned down the option to extend his two-year contract with the company:

"I'm not a guy that's wired to sit on the bench, you know? I'm a guy that should be in the starting lineup. It's not being egotistical to say that because it's true and I proved that." [H/T - Wrestling Inc.]

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Frankie Kazarian says he's in a much better place after leaving AEW

Frankie Kazarian, the five-time X Division Champion, expressed his satisfaction with the decision to leave AEW and join IMPACT Wrestling.

Kazarian stated that he felt much better since making the switch and that it only took him a couple of days to decide.

"I was proud to be a part of it, but now things have changed. The landscape is different, and it's time for me to be a little bit selfish. If I have one regret, it's that I wasn't selfish enough. It's time that Frankie Kazarian looks after Frankie Kazarian." [H/T - Wrestling Inc.]

Kazarian's decision to leave Tony Khan's promotion and join IMPACT has allowed him to be in a better place and focus on achieving his goals.

What are your thoughts on Frankie Kazarian going back to Impact Wrestling? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.