Powerhouse Hobbs Turned Down AEW Offer As He’s Expected to Join WWE

WWE has seen a few people jump ship from AEW. Jade Cargill, Ethan Page and Ricky Saints is only a start, because others like Penta and Blake Monroe are impossible not to mention. Now, another star may be ready to take a leap to WWE territory from Tony Khan’s company.

Powerhouse Hobbs’ run with All Elite Wrestling appears to be nearing its end, with WWE widely viewed as his next stop. It’s already been reported that WWE has their eye on him in a big way.

Hobbs’ AEW contract is expiring, and he’s expected to sign with WWE. Hobbs officially wrapped up with AEW this week by filming a Trios Championship defense that’s set to air this weekend on AEW Collision: Maximum Carnage, which is expected to be his final appearance for the company.

While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said WWE has been “very high” on Hobbs for quite some time and has long expected to add him to the roster.

“With Hobbs, WWE had expected that they had Hobbs for actually quite a while. I know that they thought that the match last Wednesday was going to be his last one, but he actually did a match I believe on Collision. That will air on Saturday, so that will be his last match."

"His contract actually expires today. But, yeah, [WWE] expected him to go there. AEW made an offer. He turned down the AEW offer, wanted to go to WWE. We’ll see. For some people it’s the right move, and for some people it isn’t.”

While WWE has reportedly been confident for months that Hobbs was WWE-bound, Meltzer suggested AEW continuing to feature him on television could mean the company wasn’t fully sure he was leaving until recently.

“Tony liked him and everything. And he was professional,” Meltzer said. “Tony didn’t take him off TV, so that tells me he didn’t know he was going. But, like I said, WWE — they were pretty confident they’ve had him for months, really.”

Hobbs is 34-years-old, so he has a lot more to offer in the ring. He first joined AEW in 2020 after building his reputation on the California independent scene. During his time with the company, he captured the TNT Championship and later held the AEW Trios Championships as part of The Opps alongside Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata.

WWE may also have their eye on Private Party. That could be an interesting addition to WWE if it happens. Only time will tell how things pan out from this point on.

What’s your take on WWE getting Powerhouse Hobbs? Do you think that he would become a big player in the company? Let us know what you think in the comments section!