AEW: Penta El Zero Miedo Confirms He is Still Under AEW Contract, Shelton Benjamin Reportedly Expected to Join AEW, More News

Lucha Bros AEW Contract Status Update – Penta El Zero Miedo Confirms He is Still Under AEW Contract

As noted before, The Lucha Brothers’ Penta El Zero Miedo’s contract with AEW had been originally set to expire between this past August and September while Rey Fenix’s contract had been originally set to expire this past September. Penta’s contract is now believed to be expiring within the next two months while AEW recently added almost a full year’s worth of injury time to Fenix’s contract.

Mas Lucha held a recent interview with Penta. One of the topics discussed included Penta confirming that he is still under contract with AEW and he is ready to work again in AEW should they need him.

“It’s like I was saying, everyone defends their interests. Tony is defending his interests and we are defending our own. I’ll say this, I am still under contract with AEW, that is my present. I have not thought about my future because I prefer to think about my here and now, and my now is AEW. If they decided to not have us in matches, that’s their thing, but I am ready for the day they need me to go to work with the same energy and enthusiasm I’ve always had.

We will see what happens in future months, but I am still in AEW and I cannot even think about talking to another company because that is not of my involvement. My legal team, lawyers and that stuff will handle everything relating to contracts and the like, but my job is inside that ring and with the fans. Everything that happens outside of that will be handled by people in their areas. My present in AEW, I’m still firm with them and, quite frankly, I don’t know what will happen in the future.”

English translation & transcript h/t: Fightful.com

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Shelton Benjamin Reportedly Expected to Sign with AEW

As noted before, former WWE talent Shelton Benjamin confirmed this past July that he had been in talks with AEW for a potential deal. Besides Benjamin, Bobby Lashley and MVP were believed to have been in recent talks with AEW for potential deals as well, which was later confirmed following MVP making his official debut for the company at this past September’s Dynamite Grand Slam 2024 show.

WrestlePurists’ Ibou reported that his sources stated that Benjamin is currently expected to be heading to AEW and sign an official contract with the company.

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AEW News & Notes

Costco Guys AJ and Big Justice announced on Twitter they have recently signed a contract with AEW. AJ announced that his contract includes him competing in one match inside an AEW ring.

As noted before, Jay White has been out of action for AEW since this pats July due to an foot injury. White was believed to have recently recovered from his injury and could make his return to AEW television soon. WrestlePurists’ Ibou reported that his sources stated that White is currently set to make his return from injury “imminently.”

Cash Wheeler recently launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help financially assist those affected by the recent Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

In a recent interview with The Rocker Morning Show, AEW CEO Tony Khan gave his thoughts about his interest in potentially reviving Ring of Honor’s War Of The Worlds themed series for future AEW/ROH x NJPW shows. Khan stated “Yeah, I’d love to do that. That’s absolutely something we’re interested in. The War Of The Worlds concept, there’s definitely something to it. We’ve built something really special with Forbidden Door coming to North America and now expanding to Europe and also with AEW going over to Japan to compete at Wrestle Dynasty. We’ve got a great collaboration with New Japan, I’d love to expand it. You’re absolutely right, a few years ago, we hadn’t started working together and it’s kind of amazing how much in the past few years that AEW has been able to do in terms of collaborating with international wrestling promotions like New Japan and lucha libre in Mexico and really growing the business overseas and teaming up with the best international wrestling promotions and putting on these great matches.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)

In a recent interview with Fightful, Britt Baker gave her thoughts about how AEW producer Sarah Stock helped her prepare for her in-ring comeback this past August after suffering from Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm. Baker stated “Love Sarah Stock. I pick her brain. She actually trained with me when I was coming back from all of my many injuries from T.A.A. and I think she’s incredible. I studied a lot of her Mexico matches actually and STARDOM matches and any time you have a fierce woman helping lead the charge in the back, sign me up. I hope I can be that one day.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)

During the same interview, Britt Baker also gave her thoughts about getting to work with Mercedes Mone in AEW. Baker stated “I really liked the promo that Mercedes (Moné) and I had, the contract signing. Where was that? Wales? Cardiff? Yeah. I really liked that. First off, the crowd, insane, nuclear. We got to kick off the show but also, there’s a lot of truth to it. When I say Mercedes is one of my massive inspirations and a reason why I wrestle today, I mean that. I’m such a fan of her. It was surreal to me to get to work with her on such a huge platform. It’s still surreal to me and I’m super grateful that she also gave me that opportunity, that like, hey, that’s Britt Baker. I’m gonna work with her. If you would have told me that back in 2015 when I started wrestling, I would have been like, pshh, Mercedes knows who I am? What? It’s crazy so, it’s just evolution… That’s one of my favorite promos because I got to say a lot of my truth to Mercedes’ face. ‘You walked so girls like me could run.’ You can feel that. You know when a wrestler means what they’re saying, you know when there’s a passion that comes from that place too, and sometimes, we’re so good at promos that we can bamboozle you all into thinking that some of the mean and nasty sh*t is real too and that, I love that just as much. So I love all my heel promos just as much as the baby — more than the babyface ones.” (Transcript h/t: PostWrestling.com)

In a recent interview with the Talk Is Jericho podcast, Ricochet gave his thoughts about getting to wrestle at Wembley Stadium for his official debut in AEW. Ricochet stated “It’s funny because I had to be snuck in, I’ve never been in that position before. I get on the golf cart with the black tarp over you going through, again, for me it’s just weird, to be in that position is weird. I stayed at the hotel in the airport. I was kind of sequestered in a room all day, so I really didn’t get to see anybody but the people in the match for a little bit, just to see what’s gonna happen. I didn’t really get to see anybody all day. Again, they put a black tarp over me and they put me in a golf cart and they bring me right before the entrance. We’re in gorilla and that’s kind of when I get to see and say hi to people. Then you go up there and the nerves are definitely there, but for me, once you step through the curtain, all the nerves and all of the feelings and all of the emotions kind of just dissipate into like go time. When you step through the curtain, you don’t feel it, it’s weird. Not to sound a specific way, but I kind of knew that it was going to get a good reaction. It’s a surprise, the anticipation is already there, everyone’s ready for it, it’s gonna be something new and fresh. That part I wasn’t worried about, it’s just new and you want to do good and everything. I kind of always go back to Kobe, Kobe was always an inspiration. ‘How do you do it every time’, he’s like, ‘Well, I’ve already made that shot a thousand times in practice. I’ve done it a thousand times, just because there is more people watching doesn’t mean I can’t go in there and do what I’ve done a thousand times.’ I do kind of channel that. Anytime I start to get nervous, I try to channel that mentality of like, man, I’ve been here before. Obviously never Wembley, but like high pressure situations with Tokyo Dome, WrestleMania. Those situations, I’ve been there. Being able to check off such a historic building on your debut for a new company, all of that in one, I think that was the feelings I was feeling at that time, like wow, this is crazy. Then it was crazy, all of the guys were cool going out there and doing things and doing crazy shooting stars, it was awesome. I couldn’t ask for much more, really.” (Transcript h/t: Fightful.com)