3 AEW Exits Revealed After Contracts Expire

Three talents have exited All Elite Wrestling at the beginning of 2026, with Fightful Select reporting that Matt Taven, Mercedes Martinez, and Alex Abrahantes are all gone from AEW after their contracts expired.

Matt Taven had been a part of AEW since 2022, having signed with the promotion alongside his Kingdom tag team partner Mike Bennett. Bennett is still listed on the AEW roster page, which suggests he is still under contract with the company.

Taven was pushed at points during his time with AEW, notably forming the Undisputed Kingdom with Adam Cole, Mike Bennett, Roderick Strong, and Wardlow as part of the Devil angle against MJF in 2023. The angle resulted in Taven and Bennett winning the ROH World Tag Team Titles, but they lost the belts in August 2024 and didn't appear on AEW after November of that year, instead being booked in Ring of Honor until Taven's final appearance on the November 6, 2025 episode of ROH TV.

Mercedes Martinez joined AEW in December 2021, although she spent much of her time wrestling in Ring of Honor, which included a 220-day reign as ROH Women's World Champion in 2022. Martinez hasn't been booked on AEW TV since December 2023 and hasn't appeared in ROH since April 2024, however, and she announced to begin 2026 that she wouldn't have a contract for her final year as an active performer.

Alex Abrahantes signed with AEW in 2019 as an on-air host and to work as part of the Spanish-language broadcast team. He began managing the Lucha Bros in 2021 and also managed Komander.