AEW Star Shockingly Released Just Days After Signing

Just what is going on in AEW?!

AEW looked like they’d be starting 2026 with a major roster deficit. Several stars left the company at the start of the year after their contracts ended. The future of Chris Jericho has been a hotly discussed topic for months, with the first-ever AEW World Champion not being seen in the company since April 2025. Jericho is widely expected to return to WWE at any point. Given the time of year, a surprise return in the Royal Rumble would not be out of the question.

Then, AEW lost Powerhouse Hobbs as his contract ended on January 14th, and it’s widely been reported that he is also WWE-bound. Hobbs lost the fall that lost The Opps the AEW Trios Title on Collision, a show that aired after Hobbs had officially left the company.

However, it’s far from all doom and gloom in Tony Khan’s company.

AEW Releases Trey Miguel

AEW has put pen to paper with Zayda Steel and also brought in former TNA faction The Rascalz. However, questions quickly arose when only Myron Reed, Zachary Wentz, and Desomond Xavier debuted on screen. Trey Miguel, who was also the odd man out when Wentz and Xavier joined WWE previously, was nowhere to be seen.

It has since emerged that Miguel had signed with AEW, but just as quickly, he’s been released from his contract. Fightful Select reported the news, but no reason was given for the surprise release, and things are said to have been amicable between Miguel and the company.