Jason Burgos
The two top companies in professional wrestling, WWE and AEW, are expected to get into another bidding war for one of the industry’s brightest young stars in the near future.
The growth of AEW since its debut in 2019 has not just been great for fans, but wrestlers throughout the business have benefited greatly by having another company with big money that they can offer their services to.
Over the last seven years, we have seen many talented performers switch sides between the two promotions, and we have seen WWE and AEW battle to sign premium performers from NJPW, TNA Wrestling, and the independent scene. Well, a big bidding war could come in the fall.
WWE and AEW expected to battle in a bidding war for Leon Slater
According to Wrestling Observer, former X-Division champion Leon Slater is expected to depart the company when his contract expires and he is expected to sign with either WWE or AEW. The 21-year-old’s nearly 300-day reign as champion came to an end earlier this month, and recent rumors suggested his contract is set to end in October.
Slater would seem like a perfect fit for AEW because of his high-flying, death-defying style. Furthermore, he would be another star for them to promote for future shows in the United Kingdom.
However, WWE will have a strong chance of signing Slater — beyond making the biggest bid — because he has been featured on their content often through the company’s working relationship with TNA. He has appeared on quite a few NXT shows and was in a tag match on Saturday Night’s Main Event in December, featuring John Cena’s retirement match.
