Another wrestler who helped to create AEW has announced that they will be leaving the promotion imminently.
QT Marshall broke the news on social media that he would be departing All Elite Wrestling by the end of 2023, thanking those within the company in the address:
Thank you AEW. Thank you Tony Khan. I’ve had the privilege of being here since day 1 and I’ve written over 750 different formats for All Elite Wrestling and always with pride. As much as I’ve enjoyed being a VP, Manager of Talent Relations, and wearing a myriad of hats, the company has changed a lot since 2019 and is heading in a different direction and I feel that it’s best I do the same as we only get one chance to go All In! I have officially resigned from AEW and will have fulfilled all obligations by the end of 2023.
Thank you to everyone from the front office to the production truck to some of the hardest working talent in the sport! Most importantly, thank you to those who booed, cheered, and took part in this season of my life.
Along with being a member of the roster, Marshall was also a part of the production team and trained and scouted multiple stars who are now All Elite. While some may have been surprised by the news, the reason why may have been revealed.
In a new interview, Tony Khan has commented on the departure of QT Marshall.
Why Is QT Marshall Leaving AEW?
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer gave some more insight into why Marshall made the announcement. Beginning by stating that some in the company have known that this announcement was coming for a number of weeks, Meltzer stated that Marshall wants to still be a prominent in-ring performer but this is not going to happen in the current climate. Furthermore, it is believed that there may be a push from Cody Rhodes for Marshall to try and sign with WWE in the near future as the two are close friends:
QT wants to be a wrestling star. And it wasn’t going to happen in AEW, I know, he expressed frustration to a lot of people about that, you know, feeling, you know, he’s had good matches, but, you know, he’s not been positioned to be a wrestling star there. And I don’t know where he could go. Not only are there a lot of palces to go, but he’s 38 years old.
And, you know, like you said you only got one chance, and if you really want to be a wrestling star, you know, I mean, you can go to AAA, but there’s not any money, you know, there’s not a lot of money there.
You know, and WWE with Cody. I’d be shocked if there wasn’t at least a push from the Cody standpoint, to get him there. But, you know, whether that happens or not, and he has that thing. Usually when people quit, they have it, you know, but I don’t know that. Like, I don’t know this when people have said to me that, that they don’t know that that’s necessarily the case. But yeah, sure, lots of people are gonna figure that.
Marshall was a frequent competitor on weekly TV and AEW Dark programming in the early years of the promotion. However, following the YouTube shows coming to an end and an ever-increasing roster, Marshall has been featured less and less on TV. Marshall last competed in a televised match for the promotion on the August 19th episode of Rampage, defending the AAA Latin American Championship against Gravity.
Further clarification has been provided on the nature of Marshall’s departure courtesy of Haus of Wrestling. It is being reported that after Cody Rhodes departed AEW for WWE, Marshall’s backstage influence would “deteriorate quickly.” Haus of Wrestling also corroborates the report by Dave Meltzer that Marshall was vocal in wanting to have more time in-ring.
Furthermore, it is believed that All Elite Wrestling is heading in a new direction that is more in the style of New Japan, where matches are prioritised over storylines. When asked why this is happening, one source stated that “TK has always liked that style.”
It is believed that although Marshall’s relationship with Rhodes could make a coaching job at WWE a real possibility, Marshall still wants to be an in-ring performer, with some in WWE “sceptical” about using Marshall as an onscreen wrestler.
In a further update by Wrestle Purists further insight has been provided that concerns Marshall’s final onscreen role. Following Powerhouse Hobbs turning heel and aligning himself with Marshall, backstage vignettes were aired on Dynamite entitled QTV. When Hobbs was a part of Collision, the segments quickly came to an end. It is stated that CM Punk did not want Marshall to be on Collision and “didn’t see QTV as a productive part of Powerhouse Hobbs’ presentation.” Khan took the blame for Punk’s decision which was said to have damaged and fractured the relationship between Khan and Marshall.
Following the news of the departure, Cody Rhodes has congratulated the AEW star.
If you use any quotes from this article please credit Wrestling Observer Radio and leave a h/t to Inside The Ropes.