The wrestling world is in free agency chaos mode again, as Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks have officially parted ways with AEW. But unlike WWE’s usual “90-day sit in timeout” rule, these three? They can start working somewhere else immediately.
Yes, that means we could see any of them pop up in WWE next week, tomorrow, or heck, five minutes from now if they’re feeling ambitious.
Breaking Down the AEW Exodus
Malakai Black: Once the House of Black, Now Just Looking for a New House
- Black had a deal that could’ve kept him in AEW until 2027, but clearly, that didn’t pan out.
- Reports say he was officially done by January, which lines up with WWE fans screaming “he’s showing up at the Rumble” (which, spoiler alert, didn’t happen).
- Meanwhile, AEW has already moved on, with Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart rebranding their faction from House of Black to the Hounds of Hell—because apparently, rebranding is just as important in wrestling as it is in corporate America.
Miro: Signed a Long-Term Deal, Then Disappeared for 6 Months
- Miro hasn’t wrestled in AEW since 2023. Not due to injury, but because creative apparently forgot he existed.
- Signed an extension in 2022 that should’ve kept him there until 2026, but that didn’t quite work out either.
- Asked for his release back in September after being left off TV for months, and now he’s free to wreck people somewhere else.
Ricky Starks: “Yeah, Just Let Me Go” – AEW: “No” – Starks: “Okay, But Seriously, Let Me Go”
- Starks actually asked AEW NOT to pick up his option year in 2023.
- AEW picked it up anyway… then stopped using him.
- Asked for his release in January after being benched, and well, now he’s gone.
- To add extra spice, Starks was even pulled from GCW shows after AEW boss Tony Khan got upset over some comments from GCW Champion Effy.
- Fun fact: Before his release, Starks won the DEFY World Championship from KENTA. Meaning he’s technically still a champion (for now).
What’s Next?
Now that these three are free, speculation is already at WrestleMania main event levels.
- Could Black return to WWE and reunite with his wife, Zelina Vega?
- Does Miro storm back into WWE and remind them why he was once the most over guy in the company?
- Is Starks about to go from being left on AEW’s bench to showing up on Raw as WWE’s next big star?
No one knows for sure—but one thing is certain: this free agency just got VERY interesting.