AEW President Tony Khan knew heading into 2023 that he would have to offer big money to top talent to keep them under contract with his promotion ahead of their deals expiring in 2024.
The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks’ Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson, and “Hangman” Adam Page) have all signed multi-year contracts with AEW.
As previously noted, for The Young Bucks and Page, the reduced AEW touring schedule was a factor in their decision to remain with the promotion they helped build as they have young families. The schedule would've been much different in WWE with their non-stop touring schedule.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Barry Bloom, legendary agent in the wrestling business, told The Young Bucks during the process that they surpassed WWE Hall of Famers Kevin Nash and Scott Hall as the highest guaranteed tag team in wrestling history.
Meltzer wrote, “Bloom had told the Young Bucks that as far as he knew, this was the highest guarantee any tag team in pro wrestling history had ever gotten, and that would include the highest contracts for Kevin Nash & Scott Hall in WCW, although obviously comparing a 2023 dollar figure with late 90s in straight dollars doesn’t mean much given how much inflation has changed the value going that far back.”
Nash and Hall earned that money in 1996 when they jumped from WWE to WCW to change the wrestling business with the creation of the nWo.
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