Backstage Update On Penta El Zero Miedo's AEW Contract Status Following Recent Report

While the majority of recent wrestling contract news has revolved around WWE talent with expiring deals, there have also been reports of contract shake-ups within the other nationally televised American wrestling promotion, including one from Lucha Libre Online earlier this week that claims Penta El Zero Miedo is set to be a free agent in August or September unless he signs a new deal with AEW. The report also indicated that WWE was potentially interested in signing the former AEW tag team and trios champion. In a follow-up published in Friday's Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer wasn't able to provide much clarity, as it seems the nature of Penta's future plans depends on who you talk to.

Meltzer writes that at one time, Penta was disgruntled by the fact that he couldn't appear on AEW shows featuring talent from lucha libre promotion CMLL, which generally doesn't allow its wrestlers to appear on cards where other Mexican-born talent are wrestling. As AEW approaches the Forbidden Door crossover pay-per-view on June 30, which is believed to include CMLL this year, these restrictions seem to have been loosened somewhat, though Penta's specific situation is unclear. According to Meltzer, AEW CEO Tony Khan believes Penta will re-sign with AEW, but others have said he's "looking at exploring his options" and may even attempt to buy the rights to his name, potentially so that he could transfer his longtime gimmick to WWE.

Penta and his brother Fenix, aka the Lucha Brothers, have been a featured part of AEW's tag team division almost from the beginning, wrestling their first AEW match at Double or Nothing 2019. They would go on to become AEW World Tag Team Champions in 2021 and AEW World Trios Champions in 2022, teaming with "The Bastard" PAC to form Death Triangle.