Latest Update on AEW Star Leaving for WWE

 William Regal's reportedly imminent departure from AEW back to WWE seems to now be all but a done deal. Numerous reports dropped this week about Regal being written off television during this week's AEW Dynamite and that his current contract with the company ends this month. There were conflicting reports about the terms of Regal's deal — some said it was deliberately a short-term deal, others say Khan obliged to let Regal go upon request and there was even a report that Regal had an "out clause" that would get him out of his deal if Paul "Triple H" Levesque was ever placed in charge of WWE booking. 

Regardless of the reason, both Fightful Select and PWInsider dropped new reports on Sunday saying Regal is already out the door with AEW. PWI's Mike Johnson wrote that Regal's new WWE is being worked on and that he'll start a backstage role with WWE beginning in January. Sean Ross Sapp then wrote that sources in AEW are all "operating on the assumption that he's leaving" while people within WWE are expecting him back. 

"A WWE source said that it does not come as any surprise that William Regal is likely headed back, because Triple H was 'very unhappy' that Regal was let go in the first place. NXT sources had long told Fightful that William Regal was considered a lifer with that brand specifically, something that Triple H mentioned himself to us once. Those in WWE expect him to resume an advanced role similar to the one he had before, but that wasn't confirmed," Sapp added.

Regal was released by WWE in early January and arrived in AEW two months later at the Revolution pay-per-view. He served as both a commentator and manager for the Blackpool Combat Club faction, but turned on Jon Moxley in the main event of All Out to help MJF win the AEW World Championship. Bryan Danielson managed to talk Moxley out of taking his revenge on Regal, only for Friedman to nail him with brass knuckles a week later. Prior to his WWE departure, Regal was working onscreen as NXT's General Manager while assisting Triple H with WWE's developmental system behind the scenes.