Following news of multiple WWE releases over the weekend, the wrestling world learned of three AEW stars who are now gone from the company, and further details including their lack of non-compete clauses are still emerging. According to Fightful Select, former AEW talents Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks are now free to perform wherever they choose and do not have to wait 90 days for any non-compete in their contracts to run out, as is often the case in WWE. All three were removed from AEW's roster page on Monday.
Fightful clarified that Black's original deal could have seen him in AEW well into 2027, per AEW President Tony Khan's own words. Reports emerged that Black was officially done with AEW in January ahead of the Royal Rumble, and storyline pivots including Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart pivoting their stable from the House of Black to the Hounds of Hellwere made on recent episodes.
Miro hadn't wrestled for AEW since 2023 and only had a handful of matches that year, despite being healthy. Fightful reported he had not been brought up within creative in around six months and those in the company didn't expect to see him again. Miro signed a long-term contract extension in 2022 that could have see him with AEW until at least early 2026. It was reported he asked for his release back in September.
As for Starks, he asked AEW not to pick up his option year in late 2023. AEW did pick it up, then didn't use Starks on TV. He reportedly asked for his release back in January. He was also pulled from GCW events after comments from the promotion's champion, Effy, upset Khan. Starks won the DEFY World Championship from KENTA over the weekend, prior to his release.
