According to a Sports Illustrated report, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, and Hangman Page have each signed new multi-year deals with AEW. Notably, besides their on-screen contributions, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks will also maintain their positions as Executive Vice Presidents within the organization.
“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,” said Tony Khan, who is CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “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.
“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.”
Kenny Omega said on the new deal:
“Our original goal was to create a wrestling alternative and give a platform to talented people that we’d all felt deserved a spotlight,” he said. “I feel like we did our best in that time, and hopefully some people you’d never heard of pre-AEW are folks you enjoy watching today. Or if you knew them from their previous work elsewhere, have maybe found a new appreciation for them. That feeling, combined with the feeling of knowing they can provide for themselves and their family doing what they love, was always the biggest reward of being an EVP/founder.”
“Pro wrestling has a presence almost everywhere on the planet,” he continued. “In my pursuit to become as complete of a performer as possible, my goal was always to experience the styles of the world at their highest level. I believe that with AEW’s current working relationships, and possibly future, I can challenge all forms of pro wrestling and diversify my style so that I’m equipped for any scenario I may encounter in the ring.”
“I was careful to weigh out all options and was open minded to all possibilities,” said Omega. “I’m here to help whomever I can while I’m still around.
“Up to this point, I’ve made the choice to sacrifice everything in the name of pro wrestling. I can’t say that family or my kids influenced the decision to stay with AEW–I’m not married and without kids–but what I can say is that I’m incredibly proud of my match catalog and the wonderful people I’ve met and continue to meet. AEW not only allows me to continue doing what I do at a high level, but allows the freedom to pursue some other passions I have in life–which, after nearly 25 years in the ring, have become more and more important to me.”
On tonight’s AEW Dynamite, celebrating its 200th episode, Kenny Omega joins forces with The Young Bucks to take on the trio consisting of Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, and Satnam Singh.
