AEW CEO Tony Khan commented on Miro’s departure from the company and subsequent return to WWE during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. Miro, formerly a TNT Champion in AEW and now known as Rusev in WWE, had been inactive in the company for well over a year before being released and reappearing in WWE.
Khan confirmed that the separation was a result of conflicting creative plans. “Miro is a great wrestler. He was great in AEW. He was a TNT Champion. I think he and I just had, at times, different visions of things, but that’s okay because everyone’s entitled to different opinions and different ideas,” Khan explained. “Really, that’s what this all is. It’s different ideas. We just kind of drifted into some different ideas of what we thought we should be doing, and that’s okay.”
Miro’s last match for AEW was on December 30, 2023, at the Worlds End Premium Live Event, where he defeated Andrade El Idolo. Reports indicated that, despite being healthy, creative disagreements were the main reason for his lengthy absence from television. Miro was granted his release from AEW earlier in 2025.
Khan suggested that Rusev’s previous tenure in WWE made the decision to leave AEW and return to WWE an easy one for the wrestler. “I think he’d worked in WWE before and that clearly was a good experience for him, so he clearly was excited to go back, and he did go back,” Khan added. “I wish him the best. That’s what he’s doing now. That must make sense for him and that must be why he wanted to do it.”
Rusev made his dramatic return to WWE on the Raw after WrestleMania 41 (April 21, 2025), ending a five-year absence from the company where he had been a four-time United States Champion. His return saw him quickly destroy Alpha Academy’s Chad Gable and Otis, signaling his intent for a major singles run. Rusev recently advanced in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament to find John Cena’s final opponent.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ariel Helwani Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full interview on Ariel Helwani’s YouTube channel.
