Free agency was a big talking point in 2024. Several top names jumped from one company to another, while others were locked in with their current promotion by signing new contracts. One of the names who fans had a close eye on was HOOK. On August 14, news broke that the former FTW Champion is firmly within All Elite Wrestling and will be in that position for years to come.
Fightful Select dropped a report on Thursday that Hook had re-signed with the AEW.
“We’re told by sources familiar with the situation that by the time it had been reported that Hook had retained Barry Bloom’s group to represent him, that he had already re-signed with AEW and was locked up for years,” the Fightful Select report stated.
Staying in AEW is the best move for Hook at this point in his career
At 26 years of age, re-signing with AEW is not only a big move but the right move for Hook. AEW has already shown an interest in building Hook as a future name. One easy stat to look at is his win-loss record. Hook has been involved in 83 matches in AEW, only losing 12, winning 86 percent of his matches. That win percentage jumps to 93 percent when looking specifically at singles matches. That cannot be ignored because it signals that he’s a protected performer, one that the company wants to keep strong for the right time.
When initial word of Hook playing the free agency field came out, some speculated that he could make the move to WWE. With his father Taz, guiding him, Hook’s next move would certainly be one that is best for his future. In the eyes of some, that could have meant WWE, but there’s a lot of reason to express concerns with that potential outcome.
WWE is struggling to build up new names in the men’s division. The NXT men’s division is stagnant. Outside of Oba Femi and Trick Williams, there aren’t any names that are standing out and impressing fans in a way that makes them interesting names on the main roster. Even Ricky Saints, who had all the momentum in the world coming over as Ricky Starks, feels like just another name. Hook would get lost in that shuffle, and that’s more indicative of WWE’s booking issues than his abilities as a performer.
Staying in All Elite Wrestling is the best move for Hook. If there’s anywhere, he’s going to become a champion and remain a featured character, that’s in the company where he got his start. Moving anywhere else, mainly WWE, would be a step back in his career at this time.