While there remains an expectation that Chris Jericho will make his return to WWE in the coming weeks, the company reportedly has swooped in and poached another top talent from their rival. Fightful Select's (subscription required) Sean Ross Sapp reports that Powerhouse Hobbs' contract with AEW expired at midnight, and he is set to sign with WWE.
Hobbs seems to have wrapped up his work with AEW on Wednesday. AEW taped the January 17 episode of AEW Collision Maximum Carnage last night, and among the matches was a trios match between Hangman Page & Jetspeed and The Opps (Hobbs, Samoa Joe, and Katsuyori Shibata). It was a title match, with The Opps holding the Trios championship, and (spoiler alert) they dropped the titles.
WWE may be closing in on Powerhouse Hobbs after surprise AEW departure
Sapp notes that while AEW has made a strong offer to retain Hobbs, WWE has been circling with interest for much of the past year.
Before getting into what Hobbs' arrival to WWE means, we may have finally reached the point where the shine has finally worn off of AEW.
Hobbs' departure for WWE only continues a trend that started with Cody Rhodes. Since then, WWE has brought back CM Punk while also signing Ricky Starks and Mariah May (Blake Monroe) to lucrative free-agent deals. Add Jericho and Hobbs to that mix, and it is clear that WWE is trying to flex financially over their main rival.
AEW certainly acts as a major crutch for the independent scene and the technical aspect of professional wrestling, but it's beginning to lose steam to WWE when it comes to attracting top talent, or, in this case, retaining top talent.
As for how WWE will roll out Hobbs, it wouldn't be a complete surprise if he is a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble at the end of the month. It's an easy headline for the company and one of their bigger PLEs of the year.
Even if Hobbs does appear at the Royal Rumble, it would seem likely that he starts at NXT. It was the case for Starks and Monroe, and Hobbs' arrival would fill a void. Trick Williams has graduated to the main roster, and the expectation is that Oba Femi isn't far behind him. NXT needs another top character, and Hobbs is the clear choice. Of course, whatever path he takes, it's eventually going to lead to an elevation to the main roster.