According to Tony Khan, a massive AEW contract signing is set for Full Gear on November 18th, and the name has been leaked!
AEW President Tony Khan made his latest massive announcement on social media ahead of the November 15th episode of Dynamite, where it was announced that an agreement had been reached and one of the best wrestlers would be signing their contract inside the Kia Forum.
“AEW has agreed to terms with one of the world’s best wrestlers, a pro who is known + respected by virtually every @AEW fan! They’ll come to LA to sign their contract THIS SATURDAY 11/18 on ppv at #AEWFullGear! See you TONIGHT on TBS for the final #AEWDynamite before Full Gear!”
AEW has agreed to terms with one of the world's best wrestlers, a pro who is known + respected by virtually every @AEW fan! They'll come to LA to sign their contract THIS SATURDAY 11/18 on ppv at #AEWFullGear!
See you TONIGHT on TBS for the final #AEWDynamite before Full Gear!
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) November 15, 2023
Khan did not reveal the name of the upcoming signing, though many fans online speculate that the signing could be none other than Mercedes Mone, who has long been rumoured to be joining the company when she’s healed from injury. However, according to a recent report from Fightful Select, this was ruled out and the Full Gear signing remained a mystery. Until now…
Who Is Tony Khan’s Big Signing?
As revealed by Andrew Zarian on The Mat Men podcast, the major signing in question is none other than Will Ospreay. Zarian stated his sources revealed this to be the name despite the fact that Ospreay is still under contract with New Japan until February.
“I was told Will Ospreay. That is a big deal. Huge deal because WWE was actively pursuing him”
When asked if NJPW will let Ospreay go as he is still under contract until February 2024, it is stated that the promotion would be ok with it due to their relationship with AEW
“The wording was interesting from Tony. He said, We’ve agreed to something. They [NJPW and AEW] have an open relationship. They’re sending over Danielson and Danielson is an AEW guy. Danielson is there, Mox is there, Kingston. I think they’ll be ok with it. New Japan knows that this is a big lifeline in the States for them by being represented in AEW and having their talent on television. I think it helps them, I think the relationship is fine, we can stop thinking like this is WWE because WWE doesn’t work with anybody.
PWInsider shed more light on the situation, reporting:
“PWInsider.com can confirm that sources have indicated that Ospreay has already received the blessing of NJPW to explore discussions with other companies. This is why Barry Bloom was hired to handle Ospreay’s conversations a few months back.”
Ospreay has previously appeared for All Elite Wrestling on a number of occasions, wrestling predominantly on pay-per-view events. Notable Ospreay matches in AEW in 2023 include the critically acclaimed rematch against Kenny Omega at Forbidden Door and a victory over Chris Jericho at All In, which took place in Wembley Stadium in London, a short drive away from his hometown of Essex.