Frankie Kazarian on AEW Departure, Talks with WWE, Impact Signing Decision, & Match with Josh Alexander

PWInsider held a recent interview with Frankie Kazarian. One of the topics discussed included Kazarian’s reasons for his request to be released from his contract with AEW, which was granted by the company.

“Okay. So timing wise, you’re you’re pretty accurate. So I believe the match against Josh Alexander was November 18th. I still have two years left on my contract, two years to get rolled over. AEW management had contacted me early December, which was only a few weeks after this match. So it’s just kind of a coincidence timing wise. But they contacted me 30 days out, which is what they’re supposed to do, and they had basically talked about rolling me over and said you wanted to get the process going on that, and I mean, I basically said simply kind of, you know, thanks, but no thanks. i had kind of voiced, you know, concerns and frustrations and goals and aspirations, and had a really good talk with management AND kind of left it there for a while. I still was going to TVs and the last television I was at was in San Antonio, Texas. And I sat down with Megha who, if people don’t know, that’s the head legal in AEW, a very, very bright, brilliant woman, very nice, and had a long conversation in person and gave her the list of the reasons why I wanted to, you know, kind of move on bet on myself. That’s kind of the recurring theme here and that now was the time to do it. I wanted to do it so we could…I’ve always done business the right way. I wanted to be amicable about it. I wanted to get out before there was feelings of resistance or bitterness or any of that. So, that message was relayed and they wanted to do right by me, which I respect the hell out of and the deal was done. So, as of January 1st of this year, I was, quote unquote free agent.”

Kazarian also gave his thoughts on his talks with WWE for a potential contract with the company and his reasons for signing a long-term deal with Impact Wrestling instead.

“Well, in the spirit of transparency. I had several great talks with people at WWE and I want ti say those talks could not have been better, more positive, more professional.  I have nothing but great things to say about everybody in that organization, especially all the people I spoke to and texted with, but ultimately this was just the best fit for me at this stage of my career, at this point in my life, at this time.  I have a great relationship with Scott D’Amore.  I’ve known him for over two decades. Obviously, I have history there. A lot of my legacy is there.  Some of Frankie Kazarian’s greatest moments happened at Impact Wrestling, and at this state of the game, I just think I was the best fit for Impact and Impact was the best fit for me for a variety of reasons  I look at the locker room and, and I’m amazed at the amount of talent. Um, I have the utmost confidence in the management there. I have the utmost confidence in the, in the creative team there. And, um, I want to help this company grow. Uh, I want to help the brand of Frankie Cerian grow, and I’m probably more motivated than I’ve ever been in my career at this point.

Kazarian also gave his thoughts about how his match against Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship at Impact’s Over Drive 2023 event this past November helped renew his confidence in himself and his wrestling career.

“I mean, that, that match certainly renewed my confidence in myself.   I’ve always, I’ve always been confident in my abilities. I’ve never questioned that, but not being able to showcase those abilities other than in a few five and 10 minute matches here and there, quite honestly gets frustrating. So having that opportunity in Impact Wrestling and having the matches with guys like Speedball Mike Bailey and Josh Alexander, justt…I kind of reminded myself, but I think more importantly, I reminded the viewing audience, the wrestling fans, that I’m <laugh>, I’m as good of as I’ve ever been, if not better. So it was  it was great, and it did give me that boost of reduced confidence, and it did let a portion of the audience see that I can go, maybe people that have only seen me on AEW in these, in these short matches…they can say,wow, this guy is a guy that can go and a guy that can be a player. So, that’s all I ever want to do. I just want to tell great stories and have great matches and maybe have a little fun while I’m doing it.”