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News on AEW talent contacted by WWE

Added 2022-09-26 20:53:06 +0000 UTC

Fightful has news on AEW names and WWE's attempts to contact them.

We can confirm that Swerve Strickland was contacted by WWE, but referred them to his attorney, and had no interest in returning to the company at the time. We were given the indication that he was contacted as a part of the reformed Hit Row pitch. However, we were told that as of now, Keith Lee has not been contacted by WWE, contrary to rumors.

A popular DARK TWITTER internet rumor was that before Bobby Fish had asked Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly to leave All Elite Wrestling with him to go back to WWE. That was vehemently denied by numerous AEW sources, and WWE sources have stated that there haven't been talks between Bobby Fish and the company.

Miro was also a name mentioned online as being contacted by WWE. We haven't heard whether he has been or not as of now, but we were told that he hadn't asked for his release.

Malakai Black asking for his release had several higher ups in AEW to think that he just wanted out to go to WWE, and he'd told at least one WWE talent he wished he was there. AEW officials also thought that the situation had been smoothed over before All Out. At least one AEW source believes that we'll end up seeing Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black back in the AEW within a few months, and said that AEW had no intent of releasing Black to go elsewhere last month.

As noted last week, FTR were contacted by WWE feelers at some point.