Add as a preferred source on Google Big Cass is officially back in WWE after eight years away from the company. However, his signing wasn’t decided solely because of the recent vignette that aired on Raw.
According to a new update from Fightful Select, Cass signed his contract with WWE this month. The plan for his return, though, had been in place since May.
At the time, WrestleVotes Radio reported that WWE had interest in reuniting Big Cass and Enzo Amore. Those talks took place while the contract of Big Bill, his AEW persona at the time, was nearing its end.
At the end of June, Cass informed AEW that he wouldn’t be renewing his deal. His contract was set to run out in the first days of July, clearing the way for him to return to WWE right away.
The confirmation, however, didn’t come until the July 13 episode of Raw. WWE aired a vignette featuring the wrestler’s silhouette, footage of fans holding up “SAWFT” signs, and merchandise from his first run with the company. It closed with the date August 3, which will be the first Raw following SummerSlam.
With that, the return wasn’t a sudden decision. WWE began laying the groundwork in May, waited for Cass to part ways with AEW, and finalized the contract sometime in July.
Big Cass was released by WWE on June 19, 2018. During his run in AEW, which began in August 2022, he won the AEW World Tag Team Championship alongside Ricky Starks.