All Elite Wrestling Signs Lance Archer to Multi-Year Contract
02/26/2020 04:56 pm EST
All Elite Wrestling announced on Wednesday that the company had signed former New Japan Pro Wrestling, WWE and TNA star Lance Archer to a multi-year contract. Standing at 6-foot-8, 265 pounds, Archer will be one of the largest stars on AEW's roster from the get-go. He first broke out on the national scene in TNA as Lance Rock, then worked in WWE from 2009-10 at Vance Archer. The bulk of his success came once he moved to Japan as Lance Archer, working alongside Davey Boy Smith Jr. as a member of the Suzuki-gun faction. Over the past year he had been working primarily as a singles wrestler, winning the IWGP United States Championship.
He already has a bit of experience working with AEW's Jon Moxley. The two met at Wrestle Kingdom 14 back in January, in which Moxley won a Texas Death Match to win back the US title.
"I've been in the business for almost half of my life, but with AEW, I'm setting my sights on the best chapter of my career so far," Archer said in a press release. "This company champions the creative, competitive and electrifying environment that I've been waiting for my whole career. No matter where I go — no matter who steps in front of me — I'm the one you should be afraid of at AEW."
"Lance Archer is explosive, dynamic and unpredictable, making him perfect for AEW," AEW president Tony Khan said in the same release. "He's made his mark in every corner of the world. He's brutal, colorful and will be a factor the minute he steps into the ring."
No word yet on if "The Murderhawk Monster" will appear on AEW Dynamite this week. Here's the card for tonight's episode in Kansas City:
- Kenny Omega vs. PAC (30-Minute Iron Man Match)
- The Best Friends vs. The Butcher & The Blade
- Sammy Guevara, Santana and Ortiz vs. Luchasaurus, Jungle Boy and Marko Stunt
AEW returns to pay-per-view this Saturday with the AEW Revolution in Chicago. Here's the card for that:
- AEW World Championship: Chris Jericho vs. Jon Moxley
- AEW World Tag Team Championships: Kenny Omega & Hangman Page vs. The Young Bucks
- AEW Women's World Championship: Nyla Rose vs. Kris Statlander
- Cody Rhodes vs. MJF
- Dustin Rhodes vs. Jake Hager
- Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara
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