When QT Marshall took to social media to boldly announce the end of his relationship with AEW, fans around the world wondered what the wrestler/vice president/trainer had in mind for the next act of his career.
Would he sign with WWE, working in/for NXT in a similar way to Shawn Spears now? Or would he go on a legit singles run on the indies or even for a promotion like CMLL, pushing to prove he's worthy of being taken seriously as a wrestler? Could he step away from the ring entirely to take the Nightmare Factory national, with outposts all over?
Nope, as it turns out, he just returned to AEW in a non-wrestling role, largely doing what he did before, minus managing Will Hobbs or running QTV.
A weird choice? You bet, but as Marshall noted in an appearance on WrestleBinge, he did speak to WWE about some sort of role. Unfortunately, the conversation simply didn't get very far.
“I've never publicly stated stuff, but like… Man I worked harder than most people at AEW. If that ruffles feathers, I don't care. I did, I busted my butt for them in hopes that maybe it would lead to more in the ring maybe. But they're two separate things, and when we spoke, Tony and I spoke about that, we both were on the same page of…a lot of people think I left because I wanted to become a big star. That's not what it was at all…” QT Marshall told Sportskeeda via Cultaholic.
“I mean, when I spoke to them [WWE], it was a three, four-minute conversation, and [Triple] H kind of just asked me what I wanted to do, and I told him what I liked to do, and we never even got past that point. I remember the guy that kind of linked me up with them was like ‘Wait, you're already going back to AEW?' I said ‘Yeah,' because I understand what I want to do, and what I want to do, even if I was a full-time in-ring talent at WWE, I couldn't do all this stuff. Of course, it's everybody's dream to main event WrestleMania, but at the end of the day, that takes a lot of work, a lot of passion, a lot of sacrifice, and so on and so forth. For the other stuff that I want to do, and what I have going on with the school and stuff, I just think this is the best fit for me, unless it's something that comes along, and it's the greatest opportunity, and I can't say no. But ideally, I'm not in that position, so it's not something I think about.”
Had WWE been more receptive, would Marshall be back in AEW right now? No, probably not, but hey, considering his comments, it sure sounds like Marshall made the best choice for him based on the marketplace, as a WWE run in any legitimate capacity doesn't seem to have been in the cards.
QT Marshall has opened up about his brief AEW departure and revealed if he had talks with WWE:
"I've never publicly stated stuff, but like…Man I worked harder than most people at AEW. If that ruffles feathers, I don't care. I did, I busted my butt for them in hopes that maybe… pic.twitter.com/sxOyT55vZg
— Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) March 13, 2024
Britt Baker opens up about returning to AEW soon, too.
Speaking of former AEW stalwarts who took some time away but are at least making a comeback, Britt Baker recently took part in the promotion's panel at SXSW alongside Bryan Danielson, and Tony Khan, let it be known that she looks forward to getting back on television in the not-too-distant future.
“Yeah, I do. Just growing as a wrestler and performer and learning what works and what doesn’t work. With all the new talent coming in and new talent I get to work with, and new coaches and new people coming over from WWE, new brains and minds we get to pick,” Britt Baker said via Fightful. “You’re really doing yourself a huge disservice if you’re not constantly asking everybody around you for help. The help in AEW is growing and growing. For me personally, I can’t wait to get back in the ring, have [a mic] in my hand and cut some promos. Stay tuned.”
Oh snap, a Baker return, you say? It certainly sounds likely, as TK commented on her absence, too, and let it be known that he's looking forward to getting her back in action.
“She was out injured for a while, and now that she’s out and about, she could be coming back soon, you never know when she could return,” Tony Khan said via Fightful. “It’s one of those things we have up our sleeve, and it’s always fun when you can do those.”
What does a Baker return look like in 2024? Will she immediately get into a feud with Mercedes Mone? Or will she instead get into it with her career rival Thunder Rosa, who is fully back from her own injury? Fans will have to tune into Dynamite, Rampage, and Collison moving forward to find out.
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