A few months ago, I penned an article that discussed mostly the turn over of many of the original All Elite Wrestling contracts that were signed during the launch of the company. One of the benefits of the current pro wrestling landscape, including the "retirement" of Vince McMahon, is that for the first time since the heyday of the boom period of the 90s, you can't specifically write off where a star might or might not show up because the level of at least some competition brings with it the pursuit of talent. For example, AJ Styles is a mainstay in the WWE now and has done very well there, putting together a resume for his career that will undoubtedly rank him among one of the greatest of all time. Since TNA was smaller in scope during much of its early existence, some might not realize just how revolutionary his work was during some of those TNA years. However, there was a time that nobody, even AJ's biggest advocates would've expected him to show up in a WWE ring because the style that propelled him as the top performer for TNA was more or less completely opposite of the WWE style of the early-00s, which is why it was such a shock when he finally made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble in 2016.
The launch of All Elite, and more importantly, the money that Tony Khan was willing to invest to sign talent to comparative contracts, took some of the leverage away from the WWE empire. Not that it's meant as a knock because the talent was just trying to make a living, but outside of a few rare exceptions, a former WWE talent didn't opt to go to TNA instead of re-sign a deal, but rather decided to work for Dixie Carter if the WWE wasn't a realistic option.
That's not the case in the modern era and it can't be understated how important that dynamic is to the climate of the industry.
Several talents, such as Bryan Danielson and Adam Cole,decided not to re-sign a WWE deal to explore their options with AEW
As we've seen this year, some of that momentum has tilted the other way with the return of Cody Rhodes as a major player, and speculation that other AEW stars might consider a jump after their contract expires. Truthfully, it's less about the "wrestling war" (because there isn't one) and more about the fun of not knowing what to expect from the product, especially after years of a very stagnant industry.
As you'd expect, the rumors have continued to swirl about what free agents could show up where and the domino effect it might have on either promotion. One of the tag teams recently in the news included Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson, the duo that made their name in New Japan before their WWE debut in 2016. They spent a rather undistinguished four years under the WWE umbrella, but were reportedly offered $750,000 contracts before the launch of All Elite to sign new deals with WWE. Obviously, this was done more to keep them away of the competition than anything else, and as shrewd as it might've been, it was probably the right move. The negative of all of this is that about six months later, during the shutdown of the pandemic, WWE management released them due to "budget cuts" since it was tough to justify such hefty contracts when the company produced television from an empty building in Orlando.
In July of 2020, they surfaced in Impact and worked there, as well as some of the crossover appearances for AEW, during the past few years. Reportedly, their Impact deals expired and they are on the free agent market, prompting many to speculate that they might be on their way back to WWE with the Triple H regime now running the company. I'd say that it's possible, but not necessarily an automatic decision for them. Granted, they were big fish in a small pond in Impact and at a time when there were very few options for talent with so many promotions shuttered because of the pandemic, it made sense for them to take the offer on the table at the time.
That said, All Elite is too saturated with teams, a problem that will be exponentially more apparent with the addition of the unnecessary trios titles. I'm not sure if Tony Khan would be as eager to add more talent to the roster than he was in the past because the company is in a state of flux with the recent drama backstage and the attempt to become more organized with the addition of more staff behind the scenes. Perhaps, and this is just a guess, such a bloated roster adds to the unorganized aspects of the promotion because there are so many wrestlers that are looking for a direction in AEW. I could be wrong, but I'd say that realistically, a full-time AEW deal isn't going to be an option, and even if it was, I'm not sure it'd be a wise move for The Good Brothers to sign there.
It goes without saying that with the slew of returns since Triple H took over the company that a WWE return might be in the cards, but it's not an easy decision either. Sure, Triple H is the guy that runs the company, but the fact is that the WWE was the organization that offered Gallows and Anderson $750,000 contracts that suggested they would have a significant level of financial security, only to be released a few months later would make it tough for either of them to have a level of trust for a return. Unless there's a hefty guarantee involved, I'd suggest that the team consider if it's the right decision for them. On one hand, Gallows and Anderson are 38 and 42, respectively, and while they definitely still have a few prime years left of their career, at some point it's only logical to take the biggest payday possible. On the other hand, without some assurance of that payday, they wouldn't want to be stuck in a deal where they wouldn't be used properly and their value would be diminished. From strictly a WWE prospective, they could certainly use a solid team to add to the tag division, especially because the Usos/Street Profits is a completely recycled feud. How much the new regime is willing to truly invest in the tag division might be the key to where The Good Brothers go next. AJ Styles reuniting with The Good Brothers seems to be a natural fit, but how much spotlight the company is willing to put on the tag division might be the determining factor for the team.
Of course, the team could simply decide to continue to work for New Japan. Not only was the Japanese league where they made a name for themselves, it offers the most stability, particularly since most of the pandemic restrictions were lifted. If I had to guess, I'd say that the pair will opt to remain a full-time team for New Japan, even though the Bullet Club faction isn't as prominent now as it was when they gained their initial notoriety as a part of the faction. The AEW roster seems too bloated, and fences would need to be mended for a WWE return so New Japan is probably the best option.
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