Scorpio Sky is still getting paid by AEW, but he never dreamed of making a living by sitting at home.
While speaking to Chris Harris, the former TNT Champion opened up about spending long stretches away from AEW television despite being healthy. Sky said he knows being under contract puts him in a better position than many wrestlers, but that gratitude does not erase the frustration of watching valuable years of his career pass without getting to perform. The bigger fear is what happens when his current deal ends.
“And so when you think about it on that scale, it’s like I can’t complain, man. But then there’s other days where you’re just like, man, I… I… I grew up dreaming of doing this. I didn’t grow up dreaming of getting paid to not do it. And it’s hard, you know, and you want to do it because you love it. And not only that, but from the business side, how… you’ve got to earn your next contract. And so, you know, it does get frustrating, you know, especially when it’s out of your hands, when it’s not due to injury. But that’s the nature of the business and I think a lot of wrestlers have gone through it, not just myself. Um, there’s a lot of talent in all the companies and you’re never going to get used as often as you’d like to be used. So, you just kind of have to roll with it and try to put yourself in the best situation you can and be ready when your jersey number does get called.”
That is the ugly business reality sitting underneath all the downtime. Sky can train, stay healthy, and remain ready, but wrestlers still have to prove their value when contract negotiations come around. Doing that becomes much harder when they are not being given matches, television time, or stories that remind people what they can offer.
Sky also believes those missing years came while he was still capable of performing at a high level. Rather than treating each absence like dead time, he used it to rebuild his body and make sure he would look ready whenever AEW finally called him back.
“So, you know, again, it’s very, very tough. It’s been a very difficult time honestly the last few years because I do feel like I’m still such a high-level performer and that I’m at a prime level and I think I can put on some great TV moments. Um but again, it’s just about being ready when your jersey number is called. And every time I had a hiatus, I told myself, I’m just going to get ready and I’m going to try to get in better shape. Whenever I do come back, I’m gonna come back in great shape and I’m gonna come back with a different look and I’m gonna come back, you know, like really motivated and good. And so, you know, even if I wasn’t wrestling as much as I’d like to in the last few years, my body got a lot better. So, there’s a plus.”
The physical improvement gave Sky something positive to take from the situation, but getting into great shape only goes so far when nobody puts you on the show.
Harris then asked whether Sky had been pitching ideas during his time away. Sky said he did make creative pitches at different points, but those conversations are difficult when the company already has ongoing plans and limited television space. More importantly, being absent can quickly push a wrestler down the priority list.
“Not always, but yeah, there are definitely times where I was, you know, making pitches and sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t. You know, there’s obviously an ongoing plan for a lot of people and there’s only so much TV time. So it’s like, I think if it works and it’s something they love, then they’ll give it consideration, but sometimes it’s just out of sight, out of mind, man. And if you’re not there, no offense to anybody, if you’re not there, then they’ve got people that are there to worry about. You know, even if you want to be there and you’re not there, the reality is you’re not there. And so there are people that are there that they’re thinking about.”
Sky is not blaming one person or acting like he is the only wrestler who has ever been lost in a crowded roster. He understands how the business works. He is simply admitting that being healthy and under contract does not mean much when months of invisibility begin eating away at both a wrestler’s prime and his chances of earning another deal.
For now, Sky is doing the only thing he can control. He is staying in shape, keeping himself mentally ready, and waiting for AEW to call his number again. He still believes he has major television moments left in him, but he may need the chance to prove it before “out of sight, out of mind” starts affecting more than his current run.
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