The AEW contract of top talent Daniel Garcia is about to expire – and he seems to be seriously considering a change.
In the poker for one of the hottest young talents in wrestling, the scales seem to have tipped in WWE’s favor.
As noted by renowned wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, competitor AEW is growing increasingly concerned about the possibility of losing top technician Daniel Garcia.
It is still uncertain whether Garcia will renew his expiring contract or leave, Meltzer reported on his Wrestling Observer Radio show on Tuesday. However, it is worth mentioning that AEW no longer has the “certainty or very strong confidence” that Garcia will stay as much as it did a month ago: “He could leave.”
Daniel Garcia at AEW last in feud with MJF
Garcia, who is also the reigning world champion of the independent league PWG (Pro Wrestling Guerilla) alongside his involvement with AEW, has been active at AEW since 2020 and has been under contract there since October 2021.
The 26-year-old is portrayed by Tony Khan’s league as a potential future top star who has had programs with various big names – including a feud with Bryan Danielson and an alliance with Chris Jericho as part of the latter’s Jericho Appreciation Society.
Most recently, AEW put Garcia in a rivalry with MJF, who initiated his most recent heel turn with a brutal attack on Garcia. Even then, there were reports that the attack could have been Garcia’s “exit scenario” – but Garcia returned at the All In megashow at London’s Wembley Stadium and resumed the program against MJF.
The last time the two faced off was at the All Out show: MJF won it, after which Garcia took revenge by attacking MJF. Since then, neither has been seen on TV – MJF because he is shooting a movie, Garcia apparently because of his uncertain future. That WWE would step in if AEW and he don’t come to an agreement can be taken as a certainty given Garcia’s disposition.
WWE instead of AEW? Lucha Bros. and Miro probably want to change
Garcia is not the only star who could switch from AEW to WWE in the near future: For some time now, it has been considered certain that the Lucha Bros. (Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo) will let their AEW contracts expire and go to the market leader. In the past few days, a report from Fightful that Miro had asked AEW to release him from his contract, which supposedly runs until 2026, has also caused a stir.
The relationship between AEW and the former Rusev has been strained for quite some time: Miro has been used sparingly for about two years now – which can only be partly explained by injury rehabilitation. According to Fightful, the 38-year-old had recently proposed a program with former World Champion Jon Moxley, but it was rejected.
The hottest name at the moment that could go in the opposite direction is still that of Bobby Lashley and former manager MVP, who let their WWE contracts expire this summer and are said to want to revive their former group The Hurt Business elsewhere.
