Many AEW Contracts Don’t Have Non-Compete Clauses

The non-compete rulings the FTC are pushing for may not affect All Elite Wrestling at all.

Based on the contracts that Fightful has seen within AEW, and numerous talent we’ve spoken to, there aren’t any non-compete clauses attached to many of them. Non-competes are standarad in WWE deals, with main roster’s lasting 90 days, and NXT’s lasting a general 30 days. However, All Elite Wrestling doesn’t seem to have any.

When asking AEW sources about the nature of this, we were told a few things. For one, All Elite Wrestling doesn’t generally release talent anyway unless there’s a special request or a disciplinary action, so they haven’t necessarily had to implement those. A non-compete would generally just extend the life of a deal ending. Non competes can’t really do that unless it’s agreed upon by the talent. Upon some early departures, we’re told things are largely a case-by-case basis. For example, everyone we spoke to in AEW believe that if CM Punk were let out of his deal early, it would be on the condition he not compete in WWE for a period of time.

Since publishing this, we’ve heard more talent tell us they don’t have non-competes.

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