AEW Star Signs “Long-Term Contract” With IMPACT Wrestling
A now-former AEW star has walked away from Tony Khan’s company and rejoined IMPACT Wrestling, returning at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view.
Frankie Kazarian was a long-time part of the TNA/IMPACT Wrestling roster, winning the X-Division Championship six times as well as holding the company’s Tag Team Title on three occasions.
Kazarian was one of the first members of the AEW roster when the company was announced in early 2019, joining up with his SCU partners Scorpio Sky and Christopher Daniels. Kazarian and Sky became AEW’s inaugural Tag Team Champions when they defeated the Lucha Bros for the gold on the 30th of October 2019 edition of Dynamite.
Kazarian began competing for IMPACT Wrestling again in 2022, despite his AEW deal but now at the Hard To Kill pay-per-view, the 45-year-old star has revealed that he is done with AEW as he addressed the crowd:
“I truly hope you guys are as happy to see me, as I am to see all of you. It’s great to be back in Center Stage, it’s great to be back in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s fitting because all day I’ve had Georgia on my mind, but I’ve had a few other things on my mind…”
I went back where I was and I was surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends and something just didn’t seem right. I learned a long time ago that in this life and in this business that if you don’t stand up for yourself nobody else will. I learned that I hate complacency.”
“Very recently I had a decision to make, and that was, do I sit idly by, keep my mouth shut and be complacent, or do I bet on myself and walk away?”
“You guys don’t have to wait long for the answer because I’m here to tell you that earlier today I signed a long-term contract with IMPACT Wrestling!”
PWInsider reported that after his IMPACT World Title match with Josh Alexander in November 2022, Kazarian had asked for his release from AEW and it was granted.
Elsewhere on the Hard To Kill event, the show will go on for Mickie James as she survived putting her career on the line to defeat Jordynne Grace and become IMPACT Knockouts Champion.