Conflicting Reports On Backstage Talk Of AEW Asking Talent Not To Jump To WWE

There have been rumored reports that AEW has recently told talents that might be looking to make big money with a jump to WWE to wait. Suggesting that the company will have the money it needs to pay talent more when a new television deal comes in, there are also reports that this is an absurd idea and that AEW has had no such conversations with its performers.

According to popular Twitter account @WrestleVotes, they asked a source about a report circulating that AEW has been advising its stars to wait until 2024 before they consider making a jump to WWE. The belief is that AEW would like a chance to match offers made by Vince McMahon and company, but needs the revenue from a renegotiated television deal to have a fair shot. They added, "Source said that’s “absurd” & “if WWE is interested in a talent that is available, regardless of promotion, WWE will do business as usual.”

It's an interesting theory on a number of levels. First, WrestleVotes is reporting that their sources say no offer from AEW is going to stop WWE from pitching for the guys they want. However, Dave Meltzer's report, -- where the original story of wrestlers being told to wait comes from -- is suggesting that he was told by friends in AEW that these messages are being passed along to wrestlers and that if they can hold out for one more year, it could be worth it financially. The idea was that even if AEW gets only $90 million per year from a new network deal, it should be very profitable going forward and be able to bid more for talent whose deals are up and seen as important to AEW's future.

Related: Tony Khan Confirms AEW/NJPW: Forbidden Door Sells 11,000 Tickets During Pre-Sale

Why Would AEW Not Have The Money?

Sure, AEW isn't highly profitable yet thanks to major investments and startup costs with a smaller tv deal, but considering AEW's Tony Khan is not short on money and has spent some big dollars to land names like CM Punk, Bryan Danielson and others, it seems like an odd theory that he would, all of a sudden, be unwilling to spend money on the names he'd like to keep. And, seeing as new signings are taking place all the time, he's certainly not short on cash.

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