Steve Carrier on February 8, 2026
AEW’s signing of The Rascalz is now official—but the celebration didn’t come without controversy, and it started before the company made the announcement.
On February 1, 2026, former WWE Superstar Lars Sullivan fired off a brutal tweet from what appeared to be calling out AEW just days before The Rascalz—Zachary Wentz, Dezmond Xavier, and Myron Reed—got their “All Elite” graphics. The issue? A resurfaced image from Wentz’s past.
Referring to an old photo of Zachary Wentz dressed as Adolf Hitler, a picture that previously followed him during his WWE run, Sullivan accused AEW of talking out of both sides of their mouth.
Aew signs literal nazis. Very interesting. I thought they were the woke crusaders?
That photo had been widely cited as a factor in WWE parting ways with Wentz, with the company viewing the controversy as too radioactive to deal with long-term. Still, AEW apparently wasn’t swayed.
What’s even messier is that this backlash landed right after Trey Miguel—the fourth Rascal—stepped away from the group and distanced himself from AEW altogether. Miguel had teased a debut back in early January with a since-deleted “Coming soon” tweet, but was never shown on TV or mentioned by commentary. On January 18, he addressed his absence directly via Instagram Stories:
“Taking a break from wrestling. Please respect my space and don’t tag me in any posts or comments. Go support the Rascalz still.. 🙏💚”
AEW moved ahead with Dezmond Xavier, Myron Reed, and Zachary Wentz without hesitation. The trio, alongside Eddie Kingston and Ortiz, scored a win on Collision over Big Bill, Bryan Keith, and the Grizzled Young Veterans. Moments later, the “All Elite” graphics went live across AEW’s channels.
Despite the resurfaced photo and Sullivan’s fiery accusation, AEW never flinched. They backed the signing publicly, signaling they’re either willing to overlook Wentz’s past—or believe he’s moved on from it.
Do you think AEW should’ve addressed the old photo before signing The Rascalz, or was Lars Sullivan just stirring the pot? Drop your thoughts below—we want to hear what you think.
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