Miro's AEW situation took a worrying twist before exit; Update on his health - Reports

AEW made three notable releases on Monday. After months of uncertainty and varying backstage reports, Tony Khan finally parted ways with Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks. New details have surfaced on Miro's AEW exit, why he never returned to the ring and potential plans for the future.

The Redeemer has not wrestled since the inaugural AEW Worlds End pay-per-view on December 30, 2023. He defeated Andrade that night, then went on hiatus to recover from an injury suffered the previous September. It was reported that same month that the three-time WWE United States Champion asked for his All Elite release, but it was not granted at that point.

All Elite Wrestling officials had discussed Miro for potential creative plans throughout 2024, according to Fightful Select. In a worrying twist to his AEW status, though fans were rallying for Miro's return, the 39-year-old had not been brought up in creative talks for around six months at this point. In addition, sources described the situation as going "radio silent" for quite a while, and then the release was made official yesterday.

The erstwhile Rusev of WWE is healthy and has been medically cleared to compete for some time, despite the concern surrounding his absence.

Multiple sources within the Jacksonville-based company did not expect to see Miro again, despite his contract status. The Bulgarian grappler signed a long-term contract extension with Tony Khan in early 2022, which could have kept him locked in until early 2026 at the earliest.

Updated lineup for AEW Grand Slam Australia

All Elite Wrestling will debut Down Under on Saturday at the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Below is the updated card for Grand Slam: Australia:

• Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher vs. Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay
• Brisbane Brawl: Jay White and Cope vs. Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli
• Women's World Championship: Mariah May (c) vs. Toni Storm
• TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Harley Cameron
• Continental Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Buddy Matthews
• World Trios Championship: Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Wheeler Yuta (c) vs. Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O'Reilly

Grand Slam will air via tape delay of around 21 hours, on TNT and Max. The special will begin immediately after TNT's NBA All-Star coverage.