Private Party’s Current AEW Contractual Status After 13-Month Absence

Private Party may have been off AEW television for over a year—but they’re still not going anywhere.

According to Fightful Select, the tag team is very much still under AEW contract. When asked about their status recently—especially in relation to a rumored “mystery team” appearing on Dynamite—sources said the duo are still All Elite.

“Over the last week, we’ve asked about the status of Private Party with a “mystery” team. We didn’t get a specific answer on if they are the mystery team on Dynamite competing for a title shot. However, we were told that Private Party firmly remains under AEW contract, and that they’re still with the company.

When asking a number of sources about Private Party, everyone that we spoke to said that we could expect to see them in AEW before we would WWE."

Talk around their future started ramping up last year when it was believed their contracts were nearing expiration. Sean Ross Sapp previously addressed the confusion last month, explaining why everyone thought their time in AEW was almost up.

“If I were to report that somebody's contract was coming up soon, I would think it would be within six months,” Sapp said. “Now maybe they were extended or injury time was added since then… but everybody seemed to think that their deals were going to be up well by now.”

It turns out the contracts may not even line up equally between the two. That mismatch could be a reason WWE didn’t make a bigger play to sign them—though the interest was real. “There was interest from WWE… I think they would be great to immediately put on NXT.”

Some fans questioned whether Private Party were too experienced for the developmental brand, but Sapp pushed back hard on that idea.

“They're perfect for NXT. Hate to tell you guys. Shawn Michaels would have a ball booking them, because they can wrestle, they've got built-in characters already, they've got TV experience—that's what NXT wants.”

Even with no TV time, Quen was reportedly backstage at an AEW show a few months ago. But creative plans? Still nonexistent.

“Mark Quen was backstage at an AEW event like a couple months ago, but I haven't heard much since then,” Sapp revealed.

So where does that leave Private Party? Still signed. Still waiting. But according to Fightful, AEW insiders say you should expect to see them back in AEW before WWE. Private Party might be off screen, but their story isn’t over. Now the ball’s in AEW’s court.

What do you think AEW should do with Private Party? Would they be better off in NXT or finally getting another run on Dynamite? Let us know in the comments.