The professional wrestling world is infinitely more interesting when companies collaborate with one another. This has been evident with AEW’s ongoing partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling, CMLL, and now STARDOM. WWE has stepped up their game under the new regime across both NXT and the main roster. Earlier this year, Charlie Dempsey was sent to Japan to compete in AJPW which was a huge shock given WWE has often shunned participation with other brands.ย
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Then at the Royal Rumble TNA’s Jordynne Grace, the current Knockouts World Champion, made her debut. Since then, she’s appeared in NXT and will challenge Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship. It doesn’t seem like that partnership will be over anytime soon, as there are reports that other collaborations between the two companies could be in the works.
But two companies that have never worked together are AEW and WWE. AEW President Tony Khan has gone on record in the past stating he’d be “open” to working with WWE as it’s not something that’s really been done. “Who knows? It’s something I would certainly be open to, and I think it’s an interesting thing for the future,” Khan said on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. “It’s not something that’s ever really been done. They’ve kind of existed in their own space. We are working with a lot of wrestling promotions, and at times they’ve done stuff like that. But it would be a really interesting thing to see at some point.”
Recently, Khan spoke to Comicbook about a possible talent exchange between the two if WWE were to come knocking, to which Khan said it’s an “interesting thought” and that it would “depend on the circumstance.”
An AEW x WWE Crossover — More Likely Than Ever? Swerve Strickland Thinks So
Now the AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland has given his thoughts on a potential working relationship with WWE. Before signing with AEW in 2022, he was part of the Hit Row stable in WWE for two years. “If there’s ever a time it could happen, now is more likely than it’s ever been,” Strickland explained on the Bootleg Kev podcast. “I don’t think either person is opposed, but if there’s ever a time, as far as Tony Khan and Triple H, I don’t think there’s ever been a time that’s more likely than now. The percentages went from 0.04 to like, maybe 2.4, and that’s more than we’ve ever gotten.”
Strickland will next defend the AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door against Will Ospreay who won the title shot in a Forbidden Door Casino Gauntlet match. He is the current International Champion, having won the title at Double or Nothing from Roderick Strong.ย
Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on AEW and WWE.
