Kenny Omega, MJF And Drew McIntyre Highlight Potential Free Agent Frenzy

AEW has far more ex-WWE stars than vice versa, but in 2023, the world’s top two pro wrestling promotions could engage in their fiercest battle yet to sign some of the top names of the squared circle.

According to a report from Fightful (h/t ITRWrestling), WWE signed a plethora of stars to five-year deals in 2019 when AEW first launched, which could result in the free agent market being flooded with free agents in late 2023 or early next year: “Now that 2024 is on the horizon and those 5-year contracts are approaching their expiration dates, many wrestlers are expected to be in negotiations with WWE all throughout this year and into early 2024.”

Arguably the most notable name with a soon-to-be-expiring deal is former two-time WWE Champion Drew McIntyre, whose deal will reportedly run out around that time. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Obsever (h/t SEScoops) reported that WWE and McIntyre are “far apart on money,” and though the two sides have about nine months to negotiate a deal, McIntyre will certainly be a hot commodity if and when he becomes available.

It remains to be seen, of course, just how the sale of WWE, which has merged with UFC to essentially form a sports entertainment super company, will affect its pursuit of top-level free agents. Will it look to cut costs or be more willing to spend big bucks to retain and sign the biggest names in pro wrestling?

Regardless, WWE and AEW will have no shortage of potentially huge names to pursue over the course of 2023.

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One top name, Goldberg, is already a free agent after his WWE deal recently expired, and AEW President Tony Khan has said the possibility of Goldberg in AEW is an “interesting” one. Goldberg isn’t the ideal fit for AEW’s up-tempo in-ring style, but with a reunion between CM Punk and AEW now unlikely, AEW could be in the market for a top-level attraction that it doesn’t really have now that Punk, once its biggest draw, is no longer around.

Goldberg-to-AEW probably wouldn’t be a big morale booster for a company that has struggled with locker room drama among its top stars over the past few years, however, so Khan may want to approach a potential Goldberg deal with caution. Perhaps a better target for AEW would be Brock Lesnar, whose WWE contract situation has been up in the air for a while.

Even Lesnar himself said just this week that he isn’t sure what his in-ring future holds. But let’s be honest: Lesnar has been one of WWE’s highest paid stars for a long time, and he’s done that with a very minimal workload and a massive decade-long push to go along with it.

It’s unlikely that Lesnar, who has the power to veto WrestleMania match pitches, would get that same creative control in AEW, which has too many locker room issues to risk paying someone like Lesnar $5 million plus annuall. That is, unless it signs a massive new TV contract that puts the company in a position with more financial freedom. Plus, Lesnar just turned heel and ignited a feud with Cody Rhodes on this week’s widely panned episode of Raw, making at least a short-term stay in WWE the most likely option for “The Beast.”

Any betting man should wager the house on Goldberg and Lesnar, but in particular the latter, continuing—and ending—their careers in WWE at some point within the next few years. There is, however, a more interesting situation brewing for AEW with The Elite.

WWE is reportedly interested in Kenny Omega, who really hasn’t closed the door on a potential jump across the AEW-WWE boundary. Likewise, The Young Bucks’ Matt and Nick Jackson reportedly are “willing to listen” to offers from AEW when their contracts expire right around the same time as Omega’s and a slew of unidentified WWE stars.

Given that The Elite helped found AEW, it’s difficult to envision them jumping ship, but barely a year ago, the same could have been said about Rhodes—and Rhodes just main evented WrestleMania 39.

The Elite has, of course, been at the center of AEW’s backstage drama, which makes a potential AEW exit much more than a pipe dream. The success of Rhodes, now a substantial draw, in WWE has to be appealing to stars who could be looking to exit AEW, which has a jam-packed roster that feels more crowded than that of WWE.

While WWE has inked some of its top stars, like Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens, to new deals over the past few years, many other contracts will be expiring soon or recently did. Among the key names are McIntyre and Logan Paul, who are fresh off high-profile matches at WrestleMania 39. WWE would feel the loss of either star, but not like AEW would if another top-five talent bolts for WWE.

If AEW lost someone like Kenny Omega and/or The Young Bucks, it would be a huge blow to the company’s star power. AEW may have a deeper overall roster than WWE, but WWE is significantly more top heavy, with the likes of Lesnar, Reigns, John Cena, Becky Lynch and a handful of others all being far bigger stars than anyone AEW has under contract. WWE really doesn’t need any of AEW’s top stars, but with Dynamite’s viewership stagnating and the after-effects of the loss of Punk still being felt, AEW could use more high-profile stars at the top of the card.

That would explain why former NJPW star Jay White has been such a hot commodity for both AEW and WWE, though WWE now appears to be out on him. AEW, in particular, is looking for that spark it has largely been lacking over the past six-months, and while the company has often shown that simply improving its roster doesn’t guarantee it will grow its audience, that could change if AEW signs a major talent in the same stratosphere as Punk.

What could unfold over the next year is a free agency frenzy, with stars like Goldberg, McIntyre and more being heavily pursued by both AEW and WWE—and benefiting in a major way because of it. Why? Because Vince McMahon’s apparent return to WWE creative already has some major stars plotting a potential exit from the company.

So far, AEW has signed a ton of former WWE stars, and most of them have not panned out. But that won’t prevent AEW from taking more swings, even if they miss more often than they hit.

And given the success of Rhodes in WWE, rest assured that WWE will be looking to see which major stars—like current AEW Champion MJF—could be available soon and would instantly make waves in WWE’s new super company. WWE’s hiring strategies could revert to their old ways, however, with McMahon back running creative at least in some capacity.

McMahon tends to prioritize older established stars—think Goldberg or Lesnar—over stars like White or Omega, who seem more like targets of Triple H. But names like MJF and McIntyre could have 10-20 years left in the ring, and with the right booking, they would be game-changing main eventers in either company.

AEW, metaphorically speaking, really can’t afford to lose an MJF or an Omega because it doesn’t have the top-tier stars to easily replace them. But with Khan expecting a huge increase in TV rights fees in the near future, that could give AEW more freedom to not only retain Omega, The Young Bucks and MJF but also to pursue top WWE stars whose deals run up and are looking to avoid being booked by McMahon.

And with McMahon back in WWE likely to be a creative disaster, the AEW-WWE free agent war should be blazing hot soon enough.