AEW President Tony Khan wants to sign some of his biggest stars to new and long-term deals, something he’s done with RUSH and now The Elite (Kenny Omega, Hangman Page & The Young Bucks).
Omega’s deal was slated to expire in late January, but AEW extended the deal for the time that he missed while out with injuries, and it was expected to be up by the end of this year. That period was also in play for Page and The Young Bucks’ deals.
Sports Illustrated reported today The Elite have signed new deals with AEW. AEW’s Twitter account also shared the report.
The report noted each have signed multi-year deals with AEW. Omega and the Bucks will remain Executive Vice Presidents.
“Up to this point, I’ve made the choice to sacrifice everything in the name of pro wrestling. I can’t say that family or my kids influenced the decision to stay with AEW–I’m not married and without kids–but what I can say is that I’m incredibly proud of my match catalog and the wonderful people I’ve met and continue to meet. AEW not only allows me to continue doing what I do at a high level, but allows the freedom to pursue some other passions I have in life–which, after nearly 25 years in the ring, have become more and more important to me.”
“We’re literally the ‘E’ in AEW,” says Matt Jackson. “The Elite are the main characters of this company. No matter how different AEW is now from its original inception, we are the DNA. And if you lose the foundation of your home, it eventually collapses. It’d be a lie if I said that didn’t weigh on us, when making the decision.”
Breaking news… #AEWDynamite #AEWDynamite200 https://t.co/LXK43DSmIi
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) August 2, 2023
AEW issued the following:
The Elite Sign Long-Term Contract Extensions with AEW
— Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and “Hangman” Adam Page will Continue their Journey with AEW after Helping Launch Promotion in 2019 —
August 2, 2023 – Ahead of tonight’s landmark 200th episode of “AEW: Dynamite,” live on TBS, AEW’s CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan today announced that EVPs Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson), as well as “Hangman” Adam Page, have signed long term extensions with AEW. The announcement ensures that four cornerstones key to the launch of AEW in 2019 will remain with the promotion, where they have helped build AEW into a household name across the globe and competed in some of the most critically acclaimed matches in professional wrestling history.
The four have experienced unprecedented success both individually and as a group in AEW. Omega and Page are both former AEW World Champions and former AEW World Tag Team Champions with one another. Omega also held the AEW World Trios Championships twice with the Young Bucks, who themselves are former two-time AEW World Tag Team Champions.
“The Elite have been so important to the launch of AEW, with the Young Bucks going all in when I first approached them in 2018 about my dream to create an international pro wrestling promotion,” said Tony Khan. “Shortly after that, their partners and closest friends Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page joined us to formally launch All Elite Wrestling. All four of them have been instrumental to AEW’s success from the very first episode of Wednesday Night Dynamite in 2019 through the present day. Now as we celebrate tonight’s 200th episode of AEW: Dynamite, I’m excited to share that Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Hangman Adam Page will all be staying in AEW for years to come! Congratulations to The Elite, and we look forward to celebrating the great news with fans around the world. See you all tonight for Episode 200 of AEW: Dynamite!”
Each member of The Elite spoke to Sports Illustrated earlier today to discuss the extension, which is available here.
About AEW
Founded by CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan in 2019, AEW is offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a roster of world-class talent that is injecting new spirit, freshness and energy into the industry. “AEW: Dynamite” airs every Wednesday from 8-10 p.m. ET on TBS and attracts the youngest wrestling audience on television. The fight-forward “AEW: Rampage” airs every Friday from 10-11 p.m. ET on TNT, and the new “AEW: Collision” airs every Saturday from 8-
10 p.m. ET on TNT. AEW’s multi-platform content also includes “Being the Elite,” a weekly behind the-scenes YouTube series, and “AEW Unrestricted,” a weekly podcast series. For more info, check out Twitter.com/AEW; Instagram.com/AEW; YouTube.com/AEW; Facebook.com/AEW
