AEW is a legit pro wrestling company with a touring schedule and a television show. Therefore, they can’t risk having their stars get injured with outside projects at this point.
Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho might be allowed to compete in NJPW, but they are very rare exceptions. Because most AEW stars will no longer be working indie shows starting in October.
Mike Johnson addressed AEW stars being pulled from the indies during PW Insider Elite audio. This might not be that shocking of a move considering everything that All Elite Wrestling has riding on their TNT show.
“I was surprise that I got like four emails from people angry that come October the AEW talents will be pulled from the independents. I was like, ‘What did you expect? They’re gonna be on TV every week.’ Like, they can’t have Joey Janela or Penelope Ford or Cody Rhodes going out there and wrestling for 500 people in an independent and run the chance of them breaking their ankle when they’ve gotta be on TV every Wednesday. Like, they’re paying them a full-time salary.”
“So you really expect that they’ll let them go toil like vaudeville actors and preform one-night stands all night and then go do TV? I don’t think anybody really if you were logically thinking about what they’re trying to do would believe that.”
It was noted that a lot of things can change in nine months so promises to let AEW wrestlers continue on the indies is going to run out when they debut on TNT. This is an exciting time for pro wrestling and we should see those holes in the indies filled by other great talents. It might take some time, but the industry as a whole will hopefully only benefit from AEW.
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