AEW could see significant roster turnover over the coming months, though not through a mass wave of releases.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alvarez reported that the backstage sense is Tony Khan plans to let a number of contracts quietly run out rather than cutting talent before their deals expire.
“I’ve been given the impression that there are a lot of AEW contracts he’s not gonna cut, but they are just going to quietly expire, probably like a lot of people.”
Alvarez did not name any specific talents in this situation. He did suggest, however, that the impact will become more apparent over the next six to 18 months, as multiple wrestlers could hit the open market around the same time.
“And there’s gonna come a time, maybe in six months, a year, or 18 months down the road, where there’s gonna be a lot of people available.”
Several contracts are already known to be winding down. Jim Ross is only signed through August, while Ortiz, Scorpio Sky, and Britt Baker have deals running at least into the fall. Max Caster’s contract is expected to expire in October.
That said, none of those names are necessarily among those Alvarez was referring to. Scorpio Sky recently said he simply wants to finish this chapter the right way, without tipping his hand about what comes next.
AEW has also continued to re-sign talent it considers important. On October 7, Dark Order members Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver all signed new deals with the company.
The expectation isn’t an imminent round of releases but rather a gradual reshaping of the roster as various contracts run their course.