Former AEW talent suddenly announces retirement - "My love for this is gone"

AEW has seen its share of talents come and go over the last five years, but one unheralded foundation of the promotion is the large amount of independent stars that have competed on its programming. One of those stars, Aaron Mercer, has just announced his retirement.

Aaron Mercer was a prolific independent wrestler who competed in multiple promotions throughout the state of Texas. He's faced off against All Elite stars like Bryan Keith on the indy scene, and he also made an appearance on AEW programming back in March 2022 when he and Masada took on The Gunn Club on DARK: Elevation.

Mercer has enjoyed his time in the ring, but he's now calling it quits. The Texas native took to Instagram today with an emotional message to his fans and colleagues:

"If you have ever invested time or money into me thank you. If you think you wasted your time or money with me I am sorry. But as I type this out, I have given everything I had left. My passion for this is gone. My love for this is gone. The aches and pains and injuries have caught up," Mercer wrote.

He went on to thank the fans who have supported him until now and capped off his post with a twist on CM Punk's infamous rant from AEW All Out 2022's media scrum:

"I'm hurt. I'm old. I'm tired. I worked with a bunch of amazing people. And I just want to go home," he wrote.

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AEW DARK could see a return in 2025

AEW DARK was one of the Jacksonville-based promotion's primary offerings for a couple of years after its founding. It was later joined by DARK: Elevation, and the YouTube-exclusive shows featured young and developing talents alongside some of the independent scene's top stars.

Both shows were axed as part of the deal to bring Saturday Night Collision to TNT, but one or both could make a return next year. It's been reported that AEW's new television deal with Warner Bros. Discovery doesn't include an exclusivity clause like the previous contract, which means that Tony Khan is free to create more content on other networks or even revive DARK on YouTube.

All Elite Wrestling's new deal with WBD will see the promotion's flagship shows remain on TBS and TNT, but there are rumors that a new show titled Shockwave could debut on FOX or FS1 in 2025. Whether the company expands beyond its primary partner network remains to be seen.