Dralistico’s AEW future might not be heading toward an exit after all. Despite his contract reportedly running out in December and that bizarre “behind bars” post getting everyone talking, AEW apparently wants to keep him around.
Dave Meltzer revealed on Wrestling Observer Radio that AEW plans to make Dralistico a new contract offer. There’s no word yet on whether he’ll accept it, but the company apparently isn’t planning to just let his deal expire without trying to keep him.
“From the AEW standpoint, they are going to make him an offer.”
That’s a pretty big change from how things looked just a few days ago. Dralistico recently posted an AI-generated image of himself behind bars with his hands cuffed and wrote, “Maybe not for long?”
Considering his AEW deal expires in December, it wasn’t hard to see why people thought he was teasing his way out of the company. Bryan Alvarez even suggested the post could mean Dralistico wanted out, but apparently that wasn’t what he was talking about at all. Meltzer says people close to Dralistico told him the post was actually about his current visa situation. In other words, the bars weren’t supposed to represent AEW keeping him trapped.
“I was told from people close to him that the thing with the bars and everything, that’s because of the visa issue.”
Meltzer also specifically pushed back on the idea that Dralistico is counting down the days until he can leave. He compared the situation to Rey Fenix and said this apparently isn’t another case of a luchador desperately wanting out of AEW.
“It’s not because he can’t wait to leave like Fenix. His contract is up soon.”
The visa explanation also makes Dralistico’s lengthy absence a little more interesting. He hasn’t wrestled for AEW since the June 6 episode of Collision, when he teamed with RUSH and Sammy Guevara in a losing effort against The Conglomeration for the AEW World Trios Championship.
Dralistico originally debuted for AEW in December 2022 before officially signing in October 2023. He’s only wrestled 51 matches across AEW and Ring of Honor since arriving, so his run hasn’t exactly been packed with television time.
Of course, AEW wanting Dralistico back doesn’t mean he’s staying. His current contract is still expiring in December, and there’s no indication yet that he’s agreed to whatever the company plans to put in front of him.
For now, though, that handcuffed photo apparently wasn’t the giant AEW exit tease everyone thought it was. Dralistico still has a contract decision coming up pretty soon, but AEW apparently wants to make sure walking away isn’t his only option.
What do you think about AEW wanting to keep Dralistico despite his contract coming up soon? Let us know in the comments below.
