Not too long ago, it seemed as though The Elite might have been on their way out of AEW. Ultimately, this did not happen, but one wrestling veteran has speculated the real reason why the decorated group re-signed with Tony Khan's promotion.
Speaking on his Keeping It 100 podcast, Konnan proposed that The Elite's contract extensions with AEW went beyond Tony Khan simply wanting to keep the talented performers on his roster. Rather, it was an attempt – and a successful one at that – to avoid public ridicule, having already lost one Executive Vice-President to WWE in Cody Rhodes.
“I don’t think [Tony Khan] wants a PR disaster on his hands ‘cause he already had one Vice-President leave. Who ended up looking good in that deal? I believe WWE, right? No shade to AEW, you know, this is not a shot. And so, imagine three VPs leaving. They’re just Vice-Presidents and three big names, you know what I’m saying?” [01:54 onwards]
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This viewpoint is understandable and surely something Tony Khan considered when negotiating new contracts with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. What's next for the former Trios Champions remains to be seen.
The Young Bucks lost to FTR at AEW All In
Despite being two of the most powerful people backstage in AEW and one of the best tag teams in the ring, The Young Bucks were unsuccessful in their efforts to become the new Tag Team Champions when they challenged FTR at All In.
Additionally, Cash Wheeler's pending legal issues brought an air of uncertainty to the fate of the Tag Team titles, with many believing that The Young Bucks would take over as the faces of the division to circumvent any booking problems Tony Khan may face down the line.
Nonetheless, both sides put on a phenomenal performance inside Wembley Stadium and left the fans wondering what the next step might be for this long-standing rivalry.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Keepin' It 100 and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.