Former World Champion explains why Tony Khan hasn't signed ex-WWE star yet (Exclusive)

WWE has let go of several superstars recently for various reasons. Some were released from the company as recently as last week, while a few walked out after choosing not to renew their contract. AEW has generally seen several of these former WWE stars join the promotion over the past few years.

They most recently brought in Andrade and had him debut on Dynamite just weeks after his exit from the Stamford-based promotion. That move seems to have landed both parties in hot water. However, one ex-WWE star that Tony Khan hasn't signed yet is Karrion Kross. The former NXT Champion left the Stamford-based promotion on the expiry of his contract and is free to become All Elite.

Many expected Kross to show up in AEW almost immediately, but Tony Khan hasn't yet made a deal with the wrestler. Speaking on an episode of Writing with Russo on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, Russo said that Tony Khan is learning from signing too many ex-WWE stars who end up returning to the promotion, and that could be the reason Kross hasn't become All Elite just yet.

"Here's the one thing I got to say about Tony Khan, bro. I think he is living in learning a little bit. You know, he's gone through a lot of really tough challenges in the business, but I think he's learned from them a little bit. I think that has something to do with him not signing Kross, you know, right away. You know what I'm saying? Where in the past, he would have been signed the next day. But, like I said, Chris, it does feel like AEW is a bargaining chip to get back to the WWE," Russo said.

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Karrion Kross and Scarlett both walked away from World Wrestling Entertainment after their contracts expired in August 2025. Kross had gotten incredibly over with the fans after his promo during WrestleMania 41 weekend went viral. He would then go on to feud with Sami Zayn and have his last match in the company at SummerSlam 2025, in which he lost to Zayn.

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About the author

Faiz is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He is a BBA graduate who is passionate about sports and wants to make a career in that field. This passion led to a postgraduate degree in Journalism, which helped him pivot into becoming a sports writer. When writing, he puts the utmost importance on accuracy and thorough research.

Faiz has six years of work experience across four companies. He started his career with Zomato and then moved to Amazon. He shifted to becoming a football writer at TV9 Digital and is now with Sportskeeda. He covered the Wrestling Xtreme Mania event in Gurgaon in 2025, where he had the opportunity to interview Raj The Maharaja, fka Jinder Mahal. At the same event, he also got quick interviews with former WWE Superstar Dijak and Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura.

When it comes to his favourite wrestlers, Faiz has two names in mind. He loved to watch Triple H before the current WWE CCO retired, and he is a huge fan of Roman Reigns. Being a loyal fan since the Tribal Chief's SHIELD days, Faiz credits Roman's mic skills and unmatched in-ring storytelling for his mega success. When he was young, one in-ring story left a lasting impression on his mind and eventually got him hooked on WWE. That match was Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. Apart from that, he is also a fan of RAW.

When Faiz is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to keep up with other sports. He is an avid cricket and football fan, a huge gamer, and loves playing some RPGs on the PlayStation.

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Edited by Faiz Ahmed