Jay White made the right decision signing with All Elite Wrestling

Jay White had a big decision to make and he made the best decision for his career by signing with All Elite Wrestling. 

Tony Khan promised big news for the April 5 edition of AEW Dynamite, and he needed less than five minutes to deliver. As Ricky Starks made his way to the ring to battle Juice Robinson, Jay White’s music hit and the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion ran down to the ring to attack Starks, reuniting with Robinson. Khan followed up by announcing White as the newest signee to AEW. With all the recent developments in professional wrestling, this was the right move for the next phase of White’s career.

“Where will Jay White turn up” was one of the biggest questions for several weeks. The multiple-time champion finished up his contract with New Japan Professional Wrestling and was set to go wherever he choose. All Elite Wrestling and WWE both seemed to be the primary candidates, and it was anyone’s guess where he would perform.

Many speculated that White was a better fit for WWE than AEW. While White is a fantastic wrestler from bell to bell, his presentation fits well into the “sports entertainer” aesthetic that prevails in WWE. Plus, AEW is packed with multiple singles performers both on television and off that are jockeying for television time. It would be understandable if White didn’t want to take the chance of being lost in the shuffle as some others. Yet, he walked through the AEW Dynamite entranceway to the cheers of fans watching live in New York and the legions watching at home.

Jay White to AEW was the right move all along

If this was the end of 2022, fans may have agreed that WWE was the frontrunner to sign White’s services. But the second night of WrestleMania and the Monday Night Raw that followed quickly changed that narrative. Now, it’s hard to believe that White’s decision was made in the last three days, as Vince McMahon’s return become more evident with the news of Endeavor’s purchase. But it doesn’t matter when White’s mind was made up to join AEW, that decision is clearly the right option.

White’s talents will be better presented in AEW than in WWE. There are several potential angles against the likes of Starks, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, and plenty of others that jump off the page. MJF versus Jay White? That’s an immediate PPV headliner.

While there are some interesting matchups on the WWE side as well, that company’s track record doesn’t promise the same opportunity to see any of those dream matches come true. That promotion and its leadership seem determined to keep more of the same at the top of the card, rather than freshen things up with new champions and stars. Cody Rhodes may become the latest casualty of this practice, which is especially tragic after 2022 he was able to put together.

Could things go drastically wrong, and Jay White ends up in a situation similar to that of Andrade or Miro? Sure, anything is possible. But that outcome seems much slimmer as expectations are that Jay White will thrive as a member of the All Elite Wrestling roster.