The weeks in and around WWE WrestleMania 40 have forced the sports-entertainment giant to back up the Brinks trucks. Within one month of the Showcase of the Immortals, WWE signed WWE World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, and Drew McIntyre to new contracts, locking them down before any could entertain offers from elsewhere.
Chad Gable's WWE Contract Expires This WeekThe leader of Alpha Academy could be a free agent this week. As reported by Fightful Select, Chad Gable's WWE contract is set to expire this Friday, June 7th. Gable and WWE have yet to come to terms on a new deal, and it's unclear as to if WWE has made him an official offer yet. The former WWE Tag Team Champion is said to be"factored huge into WWE plans" and has an"awful lot of leverage" going into negotiations.
Gable has been entangled with the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the past couple of months. After falling short in a No.1 Contender's Match, Gable helped train WWE WrestleMania 40 challenger Sami Zayn en route to Zayn's victory in Philadelphia over record-setting champion Gunther. After losing a one-on-one bid for the prize on an April episode of WWE Monday Night Raw, Gable turned heel, attacking Zayn and embracing a new villainous attitude.
Prior to his WWE return, then-AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes pushed hard for AEW to acquire Gable should the Olympian become available back in 2021. When the two squared off on a 2023 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, Rhodes had reportedly made an extra effort to ensure Gable had a"big showing" during their one-on-one contest. It's unclear as to if AEW as a whole wanted to pursue Gable or if he was just someone that Rhodes had his eye on.