As has been reported by WrestlingInc, Paul Wight made some statements regarding the signing and possible signing of former WWE stars.
The internet has been ablaze with rumors and gossip that the recently released Flair, Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman would be AEW-Bound once their no-compete clauses are up.
Wyatt, who was off due to medical leave at WWE was actually cleared to wrestle before his release, as has been reported. There are no official signings as of yet, but while speaking with The Ring Report, the former Big Show—a WWE ex-pat himself, made the following statements about the aforementioned big three releases made by WWE:
“…Bray Wyatt, (Strowman), Ric Flair, and all those guys, there’s always an opportunity for people of that caliber to be a part of AEW and contribute…That’s the thing with wrestling: You never say never. It would be great to see those guys come in and it’d be great to see some of the young AEW talent get the chance to interact with guys who have seen that massive stardom and how that molds your performances and in-ring psychology. They can learn from that and prepare these young AEW talents for what’s coming in the future, giving them the opportunity to grow and be part of what’s going to be a globally impactful company…”
via The Ring Report
Wight also spoke about the sudden change in WWE…the sudden shift in decisions being made over at the company, and the recent releases that many can agree are excessive, to say the least.
“…There has been an influx of talent. For whatever reason, WWE has gone in a different direction with what they’re doing as a company. Their business line is beyond me and they do their own thing and it works for them. They’ve had great success with it. The biggest difference that I can relate to anyone outside is that AEW is a wrestling company, but also one dedicated to the talent. It’s about the fans, but also about the talent versus about being just about the company…We have talents who are available and if they make their way to AEW, it will result in an incredible amount of freedom for them to continue entertaining the fans and to continue to grow. Anyone now who has been in this business long enough is smart enough to see where momentum is going and you’ve got to agree that it’s with AEW. It’s got a great groundswell of support from fans who are really into the product. The storylines are unique. They have a different flavor and excitement about them. I made the transition myself because after four decades, I left as I could see the writing on the wall of where professional wrestling was headed….”
Via The Ring Report
“Anyone now who has been in this business long enough is smart enough to see where momentum is going…” Bold statements from a man who has done it all in the pro wrestling industry, for sure. He dominated in WCW, dominated in WWE and now is enjoying a great run (that still needs to deliver a match or two {or hopefully even more} in which he is featured), and for a statement like that to come from him, a man that knows the business as well as he does, it’s very telling indeed.
