Veteran Talent Confirms AEW Departure, Teases Retirement
The next generation currently dominates All Elite Wrestling from an in-ring perspective, but Tony Khan's young promotion remains held up by its veteran minds backstage. Since its inception in 2019, AEW has brought in numerous Hall of Fame-level talent to its behind-the-scenes crew. Hall of Famers like Billy Gunn and Dean Malenko joined the company as coaches while legends like Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blancard fulfilled on-screen manager roles. While Roberts and Anderson largely remained with one client or faction, Blanchard hopped around a bit, representing everyone from Shawn Spears to FTR.
That said, Blanchard's time at AEW's ringside is in the rear view.
"I'm no longer with AEW or Ring of Honor or any subsidiaries thereof," Blanchard told Two Man Power Trip. "That sounded pretty legal, didn't it?"
Blanchard and the Pinnacle went their separate ways earlier this year. From there, the multi-time tag team champion founded Tully Blanchard Enterprises, a faction comprising of Brian Cage and Ring of Honor stars Toa Liona and Kaun. That squad's time together was short-lived, as TBE was bought in storyline by Prince Nana and was rebranded as The Embassy.
Blanchard added that his AEW and ROH exit was not a case of his contract simply expiring.
"No, it was a little more complex than that," Blanchard added. "But my contract is up and I'm gone."
Beyond that, the Four Horsemen member believes that his entire run in the wrestling industry has come to a close.
"I would imagine that my wrestling career is probably over other than doing autograph shows and things like [that]," Blanchard continued. "I don't know how many retirement matches, last matches, (Ric) Flair can have."
Blanchard is making reference to Ric Flair's Last Match, a one-off event that featured the Nature Boy coming out of retirement once more for a tag match. Blanchard himself has been largely inactive in the 21st century, only wrestling a handful of bouts in the 2000s as well as one trios contest alongside FTR in AEW in March 2021.
"I personally, would prefer my last match, unfortunately AEW talked me into one, but before that, most of my matches, I think I only wrestled six or seven times after my full-time career, and people's memories are of me, me and Arn, me and the Horsemen," Blanchard noted. "Back in those days when I could actually do it. I can't do it anymore. I was asked to do a last match with Ricky Steamboat and said, 'I'm not going to embarrass myself and go out there and not be able to do what I used to do.' Just watch the videos."