Tony Khan will grant Miro's release from AEW

Interesting AEW roster news hit Friday morning. Fightful Select reported that Miro has requested his release for All Elite Wrestling. This shouldn’t be a full surprise to many, as he’s been absent from television. But many are keeping their eyes on how AEW manages the matter with a performer no longer wanting to be in the company.

WWE had a long history of treating performers poorly when they would ask for a release. Over the years, several individuals asked to leave the company, just to be kept under contract and stuck at home. PAC was one such person, and he elected to remain at home until his contract ran out. Another example was Mustafa Ali. He requested his release, it wasn’t granted, and he eventually returned to television just to be surprisingly cut.

As AEW celebrates five years, the company hasn’t faced many situations in which performers have asked for releases. Tony Khan has presented himself as a “man of the people” when it comes to his treatment of performers. There’s a lot of good there, especially compared to how other companies have treated those on the roster. So how will he respond to this latest news about Miro?

Fightful reported that in Spring 2022 he signed a four-year extension that would keep him in the company until approximately Spring 2026. The report also mentioned that he’s earning well into the seven figures, and there’s no confirmation on if there’s interest for him to return to WWE. Miro was a beloved figure, even before he signed with AEW in 2020. But he’s only wrestled in 11 matches since December 2021.

Keeping Miro under contract for nearly an additional two years could cause backlash. What would be the point of keeping him under contract, other than making sure he couldn’t return to WWE until well after? It doesn’t seem like the relationship can be salvaged at this point. According to the report, the two sides could not get on the same page creatively, and the creative around Miro has long been questionable since his debut in the company.

The best bet for Tony Khan would be to let Miro walk. This would be a big step in building goodwill within the community of performers who he may cross paths with, both on the roster and potential to come. He can show that he knows how to make the moves the performers want, even if it may not be best for his business overall. Wrestlers like Mercedes Mone have openly talked about how Khan’s willingness to give them what they want led to their signing with AEW.

Miro’s run in AEW is one that should be studied. “Go to AEW” was once the battle cry for fans when their favorite performers left WWE. Yet, he’s a case of how that move will not work for everyone.