Backstage Update On Blake Christian's AEW/ROH Status

Like every wrestling promotion, AEW is always on the lookout for in-ring talent, as proven when they recently brought in "NXT 2.o" performer Cole Karter on a tiered deal. Now, word is coming out that AEW has hired another former "NXT" talent, though this one is more well known for their time on the independent circuit.

According to Fightful Select, AEW has reached an agreement with Blake Christian, with the agreement tied to Ring of Honor, which, like AEW, is owned by Tony Khan. Fightful's sources said talk of the agreement was heard this past weekend at Starrcast V, where Christian was active all weekend. He worked Ric Flair's Last Match, New Japan's Music City Mayhem, and The People vs. GCW, where he challenged Jon Moxley for the GCW World Championship. Fightful couldn't confirm if Christian's deal was a written or tiered deal.

Christian's relationship with AEW isn't brand new — he's been featured on both AEW and ROH programming this year. He's worked five "AEW Dark" tapings at Universal Studios, going 2-3 in said matches, and also worked ROH Supercard of Honor and ROH Death Before Dishonor, where he teamed with Alex Zayne and Tony Deppen to take on The Embassy (Brian Cage, Kaun, and Toa Liona) in trios action on the pre-show. Christian was also involved in all three "Dark" tapings in July, which sources tell Fightful led to speculation he had reached a deal with either AEW or ROH.

A five-year pro, Christian gained notoriety as a high flyer in appearances for GCW in 2019, 2020, and early 2021. He would sign with WWE in 2021 and began working under the name Trey Baxter, appearing for both the black-and-gold and 2.0 eras of "NXT." He was released towards the end of last year and returned to the independent circuit, where he's worked GCW, Warrior Wrestling, Beyond Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerilla, Black Label Pro, and Riot Lucha Libre in Mexico. Christian has also worked dates for Impact and New Japan in 2022.