What is the nature of Erick Rowan's association with AEW? Analyzing possibility of WWE return following SmackDown

Erick Rowan made his appearance on the most recent edition of WWE SmackDown, where he paid an emotional tribute to Bray Wyatt alongside Braun Strowman. The tribute from both Wyatt Family members garnered a heartfelt reaction from fans around the globe. However, Rowan's appearance also sparked rumors about his potential return to the company in the near future.

The reason behind these rumors could be that Rowan has not yet signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). For those who are unaware, Rowan (who goes by Erick Redbeard outside WWE) has made two appearances in AEW. His first appearance was during "Brodie Lee's Celebration of Life" on December 30, 2020, where he paid tribute to his former tag team partner.

Later, on March 4, 2022, Rowan returned to AEW on an episode of Rampage and aligned himself with Death Triangle. He even competed against The House of Black on Revolution's "Buy-In" pre-show and emerged victorious by pinning Malakai Black. Despite these appearances, Erick Rowan has not signed a contract with AEW.

The potential reason for a return to WWE after his SmackDown appearance could be to pay tribute to the legacy of the Wyatt Family and Bray Wyatt. A reunion with Strowman would undoubtedly serve as a significant tribute to The Eater of Worlds.

However, if this scenario were to occur, there would be no confirmation regarding whether Erick Rowan would sign a long-term contract or merely make a few appearances in the company to pay tribute to Wyatt.

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When was Erick Rowan's last match in WWE?

The Redbeard was released by the Stamford-based promotion back in 2020 during a period of mass budget cuts. Following his release, he went on to compete in various independent wrestling promotions. His last appearance in WWE was on March 9, 2020, when he faced Drew McIntyre, unfortunately suffering a loss in that match.

Rowan's most recent victory on WWE television was against Matt Hardy on Raw, which took place on January 20, 2020. Before his release from WWE, Rowan was known for carrying a mysterious cage with him, which was ultimately revealed to contain a mechanical spider. This was destroyed by Drew McIntyre exposing the contents of the cage.

Erick Rowan is a former SmackDown Tag Team Champion

Throughout his time in WWE, Rowan also captured the tag team titles alongside the late Luke Harper, also known as Brodie Lee.

It remains to be seen whether Erick Rowan will decide to return to WWE in the future. If he does choose to make a return, it would be interesting to see how the company books a potential reunion between him and Braun Strowman.