Major AEW Star’s Contract Apparently Extended
A new report has shed light on a top AEW star’s current contract and suggests it has been quietly extended by the company.
Kenny Omega was one of four men named Executive Vice President when Tony Khan formed AEW in early 2019 alongside The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes. Omega was a major name for AEW in those early days having been one of the biggest names in NJPW for several years.
Since being part of the company, Omega has held the AEW Tag Team, Trios, and World Championships and was even suspended for a spell following the alleged backstage fight at All Out.
Following his AEW World Title loss to Hangman Adam Page in November 2021, Kenny Omega took nine months away from the company due to injuries before returning to team up with The Young Bucks in the Trios Title Tournament which began in August 2022.
It was noted to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio that he had previously noted Omega’s deal was up in January 2023 but The Best Bout Machine was being advertised for AEW’s debut in his hometown of Winnipeg in March. Meltzer explained that he doesn’t think Omega has signed a new deal but rather had his old one extended due to the time missed because of injury:
“As far as I know, he hasn’t signed a new contract, and I would think if he had, they would have sent out a release like they did (for Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley). But because he had all that time off with the injury, I think that they froze it and will extend it.”
“I think that he and the Bucks probably – like what happened (at the) end of 2018/early 2019 – I think that they probably all want to expire at around the same time. And then whatever they do next would be… they could split and make different decisions, but my gut is that they will probably be a package deal, and either all stay or all go.”
“Who knows what’s gonna happen in a year, but I think that it’s to their benefit in the sense of going as a unit and the deals expiring at that point in time. But I do not know that there’s been a new deal, and I don’t think that there’s been because, again, I think if there was like they did with Moxley and Jericho, they’d probably make a release about it.”