Bandido impressed in his AEW debut in September, and now reports are circulating that the wrestler has opted for All Elite instead of heading east to WWE. Both companies are said to be interested in signing luchador full-time following his impressive showdown with Chris Jericho on the September 28 show. Wednesday night dynamiteThe 27-year-old played so well against the ROH World Champion that it is believed Tony Khan tried to sign him that night. It took Bandido a few weeks to make a difficult decision about his future, but he has clearly decided to go the AEW route.
In the latest issue of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer details why Bandido chose All Elite Wrestling over WWE. “He eventually realized that he couldn’t sign with WWE because he had a child in Mexico and his partner didn’t want to leave Mexico, he didn’t want to see his child again. Working for WWE, they initially wanted him to join NXT, which would require him to work in Florida and if/when he makes the main roster, he’ll be away from home for much longer than at home. AEW.Meltzer also reported that the contract was for a period of three years and that there was an agreement on the maximum number of days Bandido would have to work. It doesn’t matter now, but if AEW expands to home programs, it could. Jeff Jarrett is credited with guiding Khan to professional wrestling.
Can Bandido emerge from AEW’s Mucky Middle?
Bandido’s match against Jericho was great, but it wasn’t enough to keep him from getting lost in the AEW shuffle. The company has a lot of talent. So much so that many of the most promising wrestlers go unused weekly. Example: Rush signed a full-time contract with AEW at the end of September, but only appeared on gunpowder since then. Includes episode from 11/11 Rampage, He will make three appearances on Friday nights, but has yet to win a game since joining AEW full-time.
Once Tony Khan finds a permanent home for ROH, this impasse will begin to unravel. Now, he’s trying to keep the company relevant through bookings, while also building AEW stars and stories. The double reservation didn’t go well, and even the most devoted All Elite Wrestling fans were starting to get annoyed. However, Bandido stands out in ROH, and once it has a streaming homepage, it will likely have a strong presence in the company. It’s unclear when AEW and ROH will part ways as Khan has yet to announce a streaming deal for Ring of Glory.
Source: Wrestling Observer Bulletin