The Elite are here to stay.
Ahead of AEW Dynamite’s milestone 200th episode on Wednesday, AEW President Tony Khan dropped some major news. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Khan revealed that Kenny Omega, “Hangman” Adam Page, and The Young Bucks — collectively known as The Elite — have all renewed AEW contracts with new multi-year deals.
“The Elite have been so important to the launch of AEW, with the Young Bucks going all in when I first approached them in 2018 about my dream to create an international pro wrestling promotion,” Khan said. “Shortly after that, their partners and closest friends Kenny Omega and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page joined us to formally launch All Elite Wrestling. All four of them have been instrumental to AEW’s success from the very first episode of Dynamite in 2019 through the present day.”
200 And Beyond
“Now, as we celebrate tonight’s 200th episode of Dynamite, I’m excited to share that Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page will all be staying in AEW for years to come. We look forward to celebrating the great news with fans around the world.”
While The Elite remains a popular group on-screen, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) will also continue their duties as Executive Vice Presidents for AEW — positions that they have held since AEW’s inception in 2019.
Earlier this year, Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that All Elite Wrestling extended Omega’s previous contract due to time he missed from various injuries. As of last month, AEW and The Elite were reportedly making progress in their negotiations for new contracts, as all four men were expected to receive significant money increases by staying with the company. With their contracts now officially renewed, The Elite will pivot their focus to a milestone episode of AEW Dynamite. There, Omega and The Young Bucks will face Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, and Satnam Singh in six-man tag team action.
Update: Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported more details about the situation. He cited a source who noted that one of the deals was for at least four years, but it’s unclear whether all of the contracts match up.
Sapp cited WWE sources who indicated that they would have been interested in the members of the group. While some people in WWE felt like they could have had a chance at signing them, they never had serious talks.
The report also noted that the lengthy negotiation period was somewhat caused by a slowdown following CM Punk’s return, as the way things would subsequently work was a point of discussion.
RELATED: CM Punk Apologized To Tony Khan For AEW All Out Media Scrum, Wants To Talk Things Out With The Elite
