With the new year in full swing, the wrestling business enters an interesting time in history as WWE has already locked down TV deals for NXT and SmackDown while still looking to secure the rights for Raw ahead of the deadline this fall.
2024
AEW has its media rights deal with Warner Bros Discovery through the rest of the year but still needs to lock down a new contract. The NWA’s future is still up in the air with the CW Network and the cocaine spot controversy, while MLW is looking to expand its market share in the US. This means more money for more companies, giving more money to talent with options.
With the new year, several wrestlers have officially hit the free agent market, something Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select compiled a list of.
The names
Starting up first is QT Marshall, who departed the company after being adamant that he wanted to wrestle rather than be just behind the scenes in the front office and as a trainer.
One of MLW’s top stars is on the move as Alex Hammerstone is available after asking for his release in the middle of 2023 despite having years left on his deal. The two sides came to a deal where he worked some dates before getting his early walking papers.
Shawn Spears is no longer with AEW after the two sides decided not to renew his deal. Over the last year and a half, sparingly appeared on AEW TV.
A notable NWA name on the market is former Women’s Champion Kamille, one of their biggest stars for years. Speaking of the women’s division, Deonna Purrazzo’s TNA contract has expired after years with the company. While with the promotion, she was a top star as a Knockouts Champion. She is expected to sign somewhere imminently.
Finally, there is Andrade’s AEW deal, which expired after Worlds End, where he put over Miro and is expected to sign with WWE immediately.
This is just a snippet of the story. For complete details, please visit Fightful Select at Patreon.com/Fightful.
