He might be the most-discussed possible free agent, and there’s a bit of a Kenny Omega contract update to dig into. Plus, what are WWE’s plans for Carmelo Hayes?
Kenny Omega Contract Update
A popular topic among fans lately is where a hot free agent might land, and with that in mind, there is a Kenny Omega contract update to discuss.
To be fair, this update does not answer the major question of “when will Kenny Omega become a free agent”, but it does get into some details worth tackling.
At the tail end of 2022, it was believed that Omega’s basic AEW contract either was expiring soon, or possibly had already expired.
If it had already expired, Omega would have been working without a deal-not the first time we’ve seen that done, in AEW or elsewhere.
Fightful got us a bit of an update on where things stand.
The big news? AEW employs clauses in contracts similar to WWE.
Specifically, most (if not all) AEW talent have language in their contracts which allows AEW to tack on time if and when that talent misses time due to an injury.
SOURCE: @wrestlingnewsco, twitter, screenshot
And, in case you forgot, Kenny Omega missed a significant chunk of time last year.
There are conflicting reports about this clause existing in Omega’s contract.
One source made it sound like it was in every star’s AEW contract, while another noted that Omega has really good lawyers, so maybe he had different language in his.
As of this writing, there had been no further word from AEW.
With that said, it is expected that, barring a new deal, Omega will become a free agent in 2023.
And, there is still some buzz that his next contract could be in WWE.
Several in WWE believe they have a chance to land Kenny Omega.
– @FightfulSelect pic.twitter.com/CufrfxIYfY
— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) February 17, 2023
While Omega and The Elite all opted for AEW back in 2018, it was noted that the former AEW Champion has been on good terms with Triple H.
One thing that could be challenging? In AEW, Omega can work in NJPW, so long as the dates don’t conflict with AEW.
Would WWE make that concession? Under new management, we have seen at least one WWE Superstar work a special match…
Plans For Carmelo Hayes
There might be some interesting plans for Carmelo Hayes this year.
According to the Wrestling Observer, there is backstage talk about the NXT Superstar making the jump to the main roster sooner than later.
How soon remains to be seen.
Of late on NXT, Hayes has been eyeing Bron Breakker’s NXT Championship.
Assuming he is Breakker’s next challenger, how that match goes could be quite telling.
After all, it seems we will get back to some much-loved post-WrestleMania NXT call-ups.
Could Hayes be among them?
SOURCE: @wrestlingdad101, twitter, screenshot
It’s possible…but the plans for Carmelo Hayes could be significant.
According to Meltzer, we could see Hayes inserted into a reformed Hurt Business.
Of course, we have not seen the Hurt Business get back together just yet…but we’ve had plenty of teases.
Could MVP recruit Hayes to be some new blood in a strong group?
We might see soon enough.
