Current AEW star also has a WWE deal; he is Triple H's close friend [Reports]

Modified Apr 12, 2025 11:36 GMT

Top star is under both WWE and AEW contracts [Source: AEW on X and WWE.com ] — Triple H is WWE's Chief Content Officer. [Images from AEW's X & WWE.com]

WWE and AEW are fierce competitors. But somehow, an All Elite Wrestling star, who is Triple H's close friend, is under a WWE contract.

Billy Gunn signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and has been on Tony Khan's roster ever since. Years before that, he worked for WWE. He was part of the legendary D-Generation X faction with his tag team partner, Road Dogg. The Game was also a part of the stable.

WWE recently released the latest installment of its 2K series, 2K25, in which All Elite star Billy Gunn was featured. The Jacksonville-based promotion's decision to let the Sports Entertainment giant use him puzzled fans.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer recently clarified the confusion, revealing that although Gunn was an All Elite Wrestling star, he was also under a WWE Legends deal. Therefore, Tony Khan has allowed the Stamford-based promotion to use him for things like video games, merchandise, and action figures.

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“The reason Billy Gunn is in the WWE video game is that even though he is under an AEW contract, he also has a WWE Legends contract. All those with those deals give WWE the right to market them in consumer licensed products,” Meltzer reported. [H/T: Ringside News]

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AEW's Jake “The Snake” Roberts is also in WWE 2K25

Like Billy Gunn, All Elite Wrestling's Jake 'The Snake" Roberts is also a part of WWE 2K25. Speaking on The Snake Pit podcast, he commented on his appearance in the game. The 69-year-old revealed that he'd cut a deal with both companies and was working with them in different capacities.

"Well, I’m special. It’s a situation where I’m going to work for [All Elite Wrestling], and I’d like to keep my Legends contract. I told AEW that I was going to try to keep it. They said, ‘Fine, do it.’ So when I went to WWE, I told them I was going to work for AEW, and they gave me their blessing. Let’s face it, they still want to make money off me," Roberts said.

The veteran is a playable character in the Legends roster. This is his 12th appearance in a WWE game. He is the on-screen manager of La Facción Ingobernable and also acts as a special advisor for AEW's community outreach program.

About the author

Monika Thapa is a journalist at Sportskeeda, covering AEW and WWE news. A big fan of pro wrestling since childhood, she stumbled upon sports content writing in 2022. She has a ton of experience and has worked for prominent platforms like EssentiallySports.

Monika is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in English and loves creating pro wrestling content at Sportskeeda. She proofreads her work numerous times before submitting her work and relies only on trusted sources for information.

Monika is a big fan of Rhea Ripley, as she admires her fearlessness and strength. If she were to change a WWE storyline, Monika would have had Lita return and combine forces with Becky Lynch in the latter’s 2023 feud with Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark.

When not covering the latest pieces of pro wrestling news, Monika likes to read books, spend time with dogs, and learn new cooking recipes.

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Edited by Yash Mittal