Frankie Kazarian, a seasoned professional wrestler and one of the founding members of All Elite Wrestling (AEW), has opened up about his decision to exit the company and rejoin IMPACT Wrestling, a place where he previously made significant career strides. On a recent edition of “Talk Is Jericho,” the 46-year-old athlete delved into the motivations behind his move and the aspirations for his wrestling career.
During his stint with AEW, Kazarian experienced substantial success. Alongside Scorpio Sky, he captured the AEW World Tag Team Championship as part of SCU (SoCal Uncensored) and was featured in numerous high-quality matches that highlighted his in-ring prowess. Despite these accolades, toward the latter part of 2022, Kazarian felt a disconnect from his work in AEW, leading to his decision to seek new opportunities elsewhere.
Kazarian explicitly stated on the podcast that his departure from AEW bore no malice. “I had some great moments… but the matches for me had less and less meaning to them over time,” he revealed. His perspective on his wrestling career has been pointedly clear. “All I wanted was the opportunity to have meaningful matches… it was just matches for the sake of matches,” Kazarian remarked, emphasizing his quest for significance in the squared circle.
Aware of the limited time he has left in the ring, Kazarian expressed a fervent wish to utilize his remaining years to deliver the best performances of his career. “I’m realistic; I know I have more years behind me than I do in front of me, and with the time I have in front of me, I want to maximize that and give my best version.”
Kazarian shed light on his aspirations within AEW. He never yearned to become a world champion; instead, he desired a consistent spot on AEW’s weekly television show ‘Dynamite,’ where he could fully exhibit his skills as a wrestler. Unfortunately, Kazarian sensed that those opportunities were dwindling.
After signing a three-year contract extension with AEW, it didn’t take long for him to realize that his role in the promotion was not aligning with his goals. This epiphany eventually led him to request his release, which resulted in his departure from AEW and a return to IMPACT Wrestling, reigniting his passion in the promotion that saw his rise to prominence during the 2000s and 2010s.
Kazarian’s candid conversation with Chris Jericho sheds light on the often challenging decisions wrestlers must make to pursue meaningful and fulfilling careers. As he moves forward with IMPACT Wrestling, fans can expect Kazarian to continue striving for those significant, impactful matches that have always fueled his passion for the sport.
