Why David Otunga Never Signed with AEW After WWE Release

David Otunga is finally setting the record straight on why he never jumped to AEW after his WWE release—and now, in 2026, he’s leaving the door open.

Speaking on his YouTube channel on January 16, 2026, the former WWE star opened up about the emotional and personal reasons behind his loyalty to WWE, even after he was released as part of the April 15, 2020 budget cuts.

“When I got released on April 15, 2020, with everybody else from WWE, it was due to massive budget cuts, and it was devastating,” Otunga began, before revealing, “I’ve never mentioned this before, but this explains my loyalty to WWE.”

Otunga shared that between 2017 and 2019, he was in the middle of a public custody battle with his son’s mother, Jefferson. During that time, damaging and untrue stories surfaced in the media—yet WWE never abandoned him. Otunga said he wanted to clear his name legally but couldn’t take action because of defamation protections.

“WWE stuck by me during that time because there were false stories in the news accusing me of things I did not do, which seriously harmed my reputation. I’m precluded from suing for defamation because it’s protected speech, and I’ll discuss that in a later video in depth when I’m allowed to.”

He noted how precarious things were back then, especially being a Black man during the height of the Me Too movement. But WWE didn’t take that route. Otunga credits Vince McMahon personally for standing by him when others might not have.

“For me to be accused of something that was patently false, while being a Black man at that time and with the Me Too movement going on, made it a very touchy situation. Companies would rather be safe than sorry and just fire somebody. I personally spoke with Vince, and Vince stuck by me during that time. He may or may not have seen evidence that directly proved my innocence. I’m just speaking from my experience and my relationship at that time. It meant a lot to me that he stood by me—not just him, but the company as well.”

That loyalty stayed with him—so much so that even when opportunities arose, Otunga held back from considering AEW out of respect for those who had supported him. He made it clear: that’s the reason he didn’t sign with AEW in the past.

“Michael Cole also told me he felt bad about having to release me, and I have no doubt about that. He said the moment he could bring me back, he would. So even if I had entertained the idea of going to AEW, I was afraid of what that might have looked like to WWE, to Michael Cole, or to the wrestling community, which is very small. That’s why I never really considered it.”

But times change—and David Otunga closed the video by teasing the possibility that a run in AEW could now be on the table.

“So that’s why I didn’t sign with AEW. And I’ll preempt the obvious question: would I sign with AEW now? My answer is this — Tony Khan, you still have my number.”

David Otunga kept quiet for years about why he stayed loyal to WWE, even after being cut—but now he’s making it known. With respect for Vince McMahon and Michael Cole shaping his choices in the past, Otunga made it clear that he’s open to new possibilities. AEW may not have been the right move then, but 2026 is a new game.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.