Dark Order has been one of the most, if not the most dominant and popular stables in all of All Elite Wrestling, but several members of the popular stable has left their ranks. Alan “5” Angels, who would make his professional wrestling debut in December 2016 for the Georgia-based promotion known as World Wrestling Alliance 4 (WWA4) under the tutelage of AR Fox and who would make his debut with AEW during the April 8 episode of AEW Dynamite, when he lost to Lance Archer in a one-on-one match, was the most recent wrestler to leave Dark Order after his contract with AEW expired and he ultimately decided not to re-sign with the promotion.
Alan Angels recently appeared on “The Two Man Power Trip Of Wrestling” podcast, where he talked about how it was All Elite Wrestling’s decision to not renew his contract with the promotion as well as how they offered him a per appearance deal instead, but it was then that the former AEW talent felt there wasn’t really enough room for me to grow in the promotion and maybe it was time for him to do his own thing.
This is what Alan Angels said:
“They didn’t renew it, they offered me a per appearance deal.” “I just felt there wasn’t really enough room for me to grow in AEW, at the moment at least. You never know where the wrestling business is going to take you next, but I just felt that it, yeah, maybe it was time for me to do my own thing.”
Alan Angels also talked about how he always wanted to making it on the independent wrestling scene as well as how he wanted to see what else he could do and what was out there for him. Angels then talked about how he has nothing against the other guys in AEW or Dark Order, but he just felt like the right move for him was to try and do it on his own.
This is what Alan Angels said:
“As a wrestling fan, that’s what I really wanted to do.” “I tell my buddy AC Mack, who is also a wrestler. He’s currently the Independent Wrestling Champion, and I told him, ‘Man, your career is kind of the career I pictured myself having, just because he’s worked up from these smaller independent companies and now he’s like one of the bigger names in independent wrestling just because [he’s] built up from his independent shows and stuff. He’s never been signed to a major company or anything like that, and he’s now killing it on the indies, like doing all these cool-ass shows. Just like traveling the country defending the title and all that stuff.”
“I just wanted to spread my wings and see what else I can do. I felt like it’s kind of hard to have an independent career while still signed to AEW.” “That’s part of it for sure, and nothing against those guys.” “I think all those guys are very deserving of the spot they’re in, and I’m not at all angry or anything about any of this … It’s definitely harder to get TV time and stuff like that, and they are getting their young guys, they’re giving them their flowers, so to speak.”
“I just felt like the right move for me was to try and do it on my own. That’s all.”
Alan Angels made his AEW Dark debut on the May 12th episode, when he lost to Rey Fenix. The following month, he appeared on the June 9th episode of AEW Dark as a member of the Dark Order group and it was then that he was referred to as “5.” Alan Angels appeared on an episode of IMPACT Wrestling, where he challenged IMPACT X-Division Champion “Speedball” Mike Bailey for Bailey’s IMPACT X-Division Title.
You can check out Alan Angels’ full comments at this link. H/T to Wrestling Inc. for transcribing the quotes.
