Report: Edge Held Talks With AEW Before Re-Signing With WWE
The Rated-R Superstar almost joined the opposition...
On Sunday, WWE Hall Of Famer Edge returned to in-ring action for the first time in almost nine years during the Men's Royal Rumble match. The 11-time world champion is expected to stick around in WWE as the company is planning to have him face his former tag team partner Randy Orton at WrestleMania 36.
According to Alex McCarthy at talkSPORT, The Rated-R Superstar has signed a new three-year deal with the company, in which he has agreed to wrestle in five matches per year and make 25 appearances. He will earn $3 million a year and will be paid the full sum as long as he competes on three occasions.
According to Bill Pritchard at Wrestlezone, The Ultimate Opportunist's return almost never happened in WWE as Edge was in negotiations with All Elite Wrestling. A source within WWE told Pritchard that Edge had previously approached Vince McMahon about an in-ring return, but WWE's CEO wasn't interested, causing the 31-time champion to begin negotiations with AEW.
However, after the young promotion put an offer on the table, McMahon told Edge he would be competing in WWE if he was returning as an active performer and got him cleared by a company doctor. Soon after the Rated-R Superstar signed a new contract with the company.
For the avoidance of doubt, Pritchard penned: "A source speaking with Wrestlezone said Edge coming back to WWE specifically wasn’t set in stone as he had been in discussions with going to All Elite Wrestling. It’s unclear how serious the talks with AEW were, and our source said Edge had previously approached WWE about an in-ring return but Vince McMahon was not open to it. AEW was reportedly interested because the "Rated R Superstar" had passed independent tests to be cleared for an in-ring return, but Edge ended up negotiating with WWE once the AEW offer had been on the table.
"It's unclear if WWE found out about the AEW talks or if he went back to them with the news, but Vince McMahon reportedly told him that he would be returning in a WWE ring if he was coming back at all and had him get cleared by a WWE doctor. Edge ultimately got cleared and WWE had a ring sent to North Carolina so he could train, which we reported on January 10 was so he could get his ring timing down."
According to Alex McCarthy at talkSPORT, The Rated-R Superstar has signed a new three-year deal with the company, in which he has agreed to wrestle in five matches per year and make 25 appearances. He will earn $3 million a year and will be paid the full sum as long as he competes on three occasions.
According to Bill Pritchard at Wrestlezone, The Ultimate Opportunist's return almost never happened in WWE as Edge was in negotiations with All Elite Wrestling. A source within WWE told Pritchard that Edge had previously approached Vince McMahon about an in-ring return, but WWE's CEO wasn't interested, causing the 31-time champion to begin negotiations with AEW.
However, after the young promotion put an offer on the table, McMahon told Edge he would be competing in WWE if he was returning as an active performer and got him cleared by a company doctor. Soon after the Rated-R Superstar signed a new contract with the company.
For the avoidance of doubt, Pritchard penned: "A source speaking with Wrestlezone said Edge coming back to WWE specifically wasn’t set in stone as he had been in discussions with going to All Elite Wrestling. It’s unclear how serious the talks with AEW were, and our source said Edge had previously approached WWE about an in-ring return but Vince McMahon was not open to it. AEW was reportedly interested because the "Rated R Superstar" had passed independent tests to be cleared for an in-ring return, but Edge ended up negotiating with WWE once the AEW offer had been on the table.
"It's unclear if WWE found out about the AEW talks or if he went back to them with the news, but Vince McMahon reportedly told him that he would be returning in a WWE ring if he was coming back at all and had him get cleared by a WWE doctor. Edge ultimately got cleared and WWE had a ring sent to North Carolina so he could train, which we reported on January 10 was so he could get his ring timing down."
Written by Aidan Gibbons
Editor-in-Chief of Cultaholic.com Twitter: @theaidangibbons
