Tag: Miro

Rusev (Fka AEW Star Miro) Returns To WWE On Raw After Mania

Just when fans thought the surprises were over after an epic WrestleMania weekend, WWE pulled out one more stunner on the post-Mania edition of Monday Night Raw. In one of the night’s most jaw-dropping moments, Rusev—formerly known in AEW as Miro—made his long-awaited return to WWE after a five-year absence.

The return came during a segment featuring the newly crowned World Tag Team Champions, The New Day, who had just captured the titles from the War Raiders on WrestleMania Saturday. As they basked in their Vegas celebration, they were cut off by Maxxine Dupri, flanked by Otis and Akira Tozawa of Alpha Academy. Dupri wasted no time throwing shade, reminding the champs of their previous, embarrassingly short loss to Alpha Academy. With a little verbal baiting—labeling them the “Minute Men”—Dupri goaded The New Day into an impromptu title defense.

But the match never got underway.

As the bell was about to ring, the arena lights cut out. Moments later, a thunderous new theme hit—and out stormed Rusev to a roaring crowd. Ditching his AEW persona and returning to his WWE roots, the Bulgarian Brute wasted no time making an impact. The New Day wisely bailed from the ring, leaving Otis and Tozawa to face the wrath of the returning powerhouse.

Tozawa was quickly dispatched, and fans were treated to a brief but intense staredown between Otis and Rusev. Just as Otis tore off his shirt to throw down, Rusev unleashed a brutal headkick, followed by a signature Machka Kick and the Accolade submission to put Otis out cold.

This surprise return comes just two months after reports confirmed Rusev’s quiet departure from AEW, where he had been competing as Miro since 2020. His last in-ring AEW appearance was back in December 2023, with a one-off match in Qatar earlier this year being the only other time he stepped into a ring post-AEW.

Now back in WWE—and clearly not wasting any time asserting dominance—Rusev looks poised to shake up the RAW roster in a big way. Whether he’s targeting The New Day, Alpha Academy, or has his sights set even higher, one thing is certain: Rusev Day is back, and the WWE landscape just got a lot more dangerous.

Miro (Rusev)Reportedly Returning to WWE After AEW Departure

Another former AEW star is heading back to WWE, and this time, it’s none other than Miro. The man formerly known as Rusev was reportedly spotted at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, with PWInsider reporting that he has signed a new deal with the company and is finalizing the details of his return.

Miro’s wife, CJ Perry (formerly known as Lana), was not seen at WWE HQ, leaving questions about her potential involvement in his return.

This marks the end of Miro’s five-year absence from WWE. After debuting in the company’s developmental system in 2010, he made a name for himself as Rusev alongside Perry, dominating as a powerhouse and winning the United States Championship three times. He had memorable rivalries with John Cena, AJ Styles, and other top names but struggled to break into WWE’s main event scene consistently.

Following his release in 2020 as part of WWE’s COVID-19 budget cuts, Miro made the jump to AEW, where he initially thrived as TNT Champion. However, after dropping the title to Sammy Guevara in late 2021, his in-ring appearances became sporadic, and he wrestled only 13 matches before requesting his release in 2024. He was officially let go this past February, opening the door for his WWE comeback.

Miro’s return is part of a growing trend in 2025, with multiple former AEW talents making the switch to WWE. Penta and NXT North American Champion Ricky Saints have already debuted, while Rey Fenix is set to appear for the first time this Friday. Meanwhile, Malakai Black is also rumored to be on his way back to WWE in the near future.

With Miro rejoining WWE, the big question now is how he will be reintroduced—and whether this will be the long-awaited push that eluded him during his first run.

Malakai Black, Ricky Starks And Miro Depart AEW: What’s Next for These Stars?

The wrestling world has seen a wave of roster shake-ups lately, and AEW is no exception. Following a series of WWE releases, it has now been confirmed that three notable AEW names—Miro, Malakai Black, and Ricky Starks—are no longer with the company. Even more intriguing, they are free to sign and compete anywhere immediately, as their contracts do not include non-compete clauses.

According to Fightful Select, AEW removed all three from its official roster page on Monday, signaling their official departure. Let’s break down the situation for each of these now-former AEW stars.

Malakai Black’s Unexpected Exit

Black’s AEW run seemed poised for longevity, with AEW President Tony Khan previously suggesting his contract could keep him with the company until 2027. However, reports indicate that Black was actually finished with AEW as early as January—well before the Royal Rumble. AEW has already adjusted creatively, repackaging Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart from the House of Black into a new stable, the Hounds of Hell.

Given Black’s reputation as a unique in-ring performer and storyteller, speculation will likely swirl about a potential WWE return—especially considering his past as Aleister Black and his connections in the company.

Miro’s AEW Run Fizzles Out

Once one of AEW’s most dominant forces, Miro had been missing from action for quite some time. Despite being healthy, he wrestled only a handful of matches in 2023 and had not been included in creative discussions for at least six months. Reports indicate that Miro actually requested his release back in September, which means his exit may have been in the works for a while.

Originally signing a long-term contract extension in 2022, Miro was expected to remain with AEW until 2026. However, his absence from TV and lack of creative direction made his departure seem inevitable. Now, the question is whether Miro—formerly known as Rusev in WWE—will head back to his old stomping grounds or explore opportunities elsewhere.

Ricky Starks: A Frustrated Star Moves On

Perhaps the most surprising departure is Ricky Starks, who had long been considered a rising star in AEW. According to reports, Starks asked AEW not to pick up his contract’s option year in late 2023. However, AEW did the opposite—exercising the option but then not utilizing him on TV.

Starks reportedly requested his release in January, and his situation was further complicated when he was pulled from GCW events due to backstage friction. Despite this, Starks managed to make headlines over the weekend by winning the DEFY World Championship from KENTA just before his AEW release became public.

What’s Next?

With no contractual restrictions holding them back, Miro, Black, and Starks have the freedom to appear anywhere at any time. Could we see one—or all—of them make surprise appearances in WWE, NJPW, or even TNA? The industry is wide open, and their next moves will undoubtedly be closely watched by fans and promoters alike.

For now, one thing is certain: AEW’s landscape continues to shift, and these departures could lead to major shake-ups across the wrestling world.

Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops!

Backstage Report Says Miro Has Asked For Release From AEW

AEW’s existence has objectively done a lot of good for the wrestling business, providing another viable option for wrestlers to ply their trade while earning major money in North America, but within any organization there will always be those who end up unhappy. For a long time, reporting has suggested that Miro, formerly WWE’s Rusev, has been displeased with his tenure in the promotion, and now it appears he wants out.

According to a report from “Fightful Select,” Miro has officially requested his release from AEW. At the time of writing, neither AEW nor Miro himself has confirmed the report, but “The Redeemer” has notably not competed in AEW at all this year, with his last match taking place during the company’s last pay-per-view in 2023, Worlds End. According to Fightful’s sources, Miro ended up being sidelined for longer than anticipated after his match at Worlds End, but that he recovered a long time ago, which the star previously confirmed, explaining that his injuries were seen to back in January.

Fightful also reports that AEW originally considered using Miro in the All In Casino Gauntlet, and an angle for him was pitched involving Jon Moxley, but added that he couldn’t reach creative agreement with management, largely the reason for his absence from programming for the past two years. The report further pointed out that there’s no confirmation if Miro’s been granted his release yet, or if WWE has any interest in picking him up. Fightful’s sources also noted that “The Redeemer” is currently signed to a seven-figure contract that doesn’t expire until Spring 2026, which might complicate the dealings around his release.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Report: Miro & CJ Perry Split, AEW Stars’ Marriage Reportedly Ended Late 2023

AEW’s Miro and CJ Perry are reportedly splitting up after over seven years of marriage. 

According to TMZ, the two “broke up once and for all” last winter, despite Miro’s social media posts about visiting Perry in the hospital as she suffered a severe infection that required multiple surgeries and almost cost Perry her arm. TMZ said their relationship was “on-again, off-again” for years, and they simply drifted apart.

TMZ reached out to representatives for Perry, who confirmed the split to the outlet. The former WWE star also provided a brief statement on the matter.

“Miro and I have made the difficult decision to separate after many wonderful years together, and have decided to move on as friends, and hopefully onscreen characters somewhere down the road,” Perry told TMZ.

The couple has yet to officially file for divorce. In the aftermath of their breakup, however, Miro has reportedly moved back to Bulgaria. The AEW star has been absent from the promotion since AEW Worlds End, when Miro defeated Andrade El Idolo and Perry aligned with her husband onscreen. With his extended absence, Miro’s future in AEW is unclear.

There is some hope for closure, as Perry expressed her desire to work together again as friends. However, it’s safe to say that future is very uncertain.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

CJ Perry Not Under Long-Term AEW Deal Despite All Out Appearance

CJ Perry made a surprise appearance at All Out this weekend, turning up after Miro’s match against Powerhouse Hobbs to help her husband during a post-match attack. She gained a huge ovation from the Chicago crowd which led to question marks about her future with the company, which Tony Khan addressed during the post-show media scrum.

“I think it’s great to have CJ here,” Khan said. “It’s not a long-term guaranteed thing or anything, but at least for tonight it was nice to have her appearing with us and I thought it was a great surprise. It was a great show. Miro and Hobbs was a match that I really believed would be great for All Out.” 

Perry hasn’t been seen in a wrestling ring since her time with WWE came to an end back in 2021, but despite the success of her CJPerry.com website, Perry has always made it clear that she was open to a return to wrestling. While Perry’s appearance proved to be beneficial for Miro as she distracted Hobbs long enough for “The Redeemer” to nail his rival with a chair, that doesn’t mean he was happy to see her. Miro walked away from Perry, leaving her inside the ring as he could be heard screaming, “You’re not real.” Perry then reacted to the situation on social media, claiming she’s not the type of woman you renounce.

https://twitter.com/TheCJPerry/status/1698522743992361295


Even though Perry is currently not on a long-term contract, that doesn’t mean that things can’t change. It now remains to be seen whether or not Perry will appear again on AEW television to continue the storyline.

Source: Wrestling Inc. Credit to AEW for the quotes

Miro And Thunder Rosa Returns On AEW Dynamite

During Wednesday night’s episode of AEW Dynamite, Miro was shown in a hallway backstage. When Renee Paquette approached and tried to get a word in with him, he refused to comment and walked into Tony Khan’s office.

Miro hasn’t been seen since All Out 2022, where he teamed with Sting and Darby Allin in a winning effort against the House of Black.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1656453969118474258

Thunder Rosa made her return to All Elite Wrestling on this week’s episode of Dynamite.

Similar to Miro’s return on the same show, Rosa appeared in a hallway backstage and was seen entering Tony Khan’s office. Rosa has been out of action in recent months due to a back injury.

Despite appearing on the Wednesday night show for the first time in several months, Dave Meltzer of “Wrestling Observer Radio” has reported that her injury is still “really bad.” It’s said that Rosa has been hurting a lot while training. 

It’s currently unknown why Rosa entered Khan’s office last night on “Dynamite.” The last time the 36-year-old stepped into the ring was on “AEW Dark: Elevation” in August 2022, when she successfully teamed up with Toni Storm and Hikaru Shida against Emi Sakura, Nyla Rose; Rosa was the reigning AEW Women’s World Champion at that time. Shortly after, Rosa revealed that she would not be able to perform and defend the AEW Women’s World Championship due to an injury. Around the same time, it was alleged that Rosa had heat with various wrestlers behind the curtain, including Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Jamie Hayter. Despite being on the sidelines, Rosa continued to hold onto the AEW Women’s World Championship, but she would be forced to relinquish the gold three months after announcing her setback. 

While speaking on “Busted Open Radio” last month, Rosa revealed that she was still not cleared to return to the ring after having multiple MRI scans and epidurals. It was recently speculated that “La Mera Mera” may have to undergo surgery.

It should be noted that both Miro and Rosa’s returns are said to be tied to the upcoming debut of AEW Collision. The show is expected to be officially announced on next week’s episode of Dynamite.

https://twitter.com/AEWonTV/status/1656457707111473154

Sources: eWrestlingNews and Wrestling Inc.

Tony Khan Provides Updates On Hangman Page, Adam Cole, Miro, & Andrade El Idolo

AEW President Tony Khan provided several updates on Miro, Andrade El Idolo, Hangman Page & Adam Cole during the post-AEW All Out media scrum.

As many of you are aware, both Cole and Page are out with concussions, while Miro and El Idolo have been off TV in recent months.

You can check out some highlights from the media scrum below:

On when Miro and Anrade El Idolo may return: “I think when we launched AEW, one thing I said was that we would build a big roster, and we would kind of have it be where I wasn’t really committing to everybody necessarily working every single week, or even possibly working people in and out of the cards. And I think that’s still something I’m committed to. So there’s people who aren’t on every event, but I would still like to get involved. And you know, you’ve seen people take some sabbaticals, absences, breaks from AEW for various reasons, come back and get very involved. And I think that’s still for both of those guys, potentially something that you could see.

“There are different reasons, I think they’re different [situations]. They’re apples and oranges in some ways, but I also think both of them are great, and I would like to get both of them involved in the future.”

On Adam Cole and Hangman Page’s statuses: “Well, I’ve been in contact with both of them. They’re both doing very well. I think again, they’re different situations. But for both of them, I think I’m optimistic we’d get both both of them back. But I can’t say when either of them would be exactly. But I do think they will both very well received and I there’s a lot of fans looking forward to both of the Adams returning. I think Hangman Page and Adam Cole would have a big reception on their return. The most important thing is, they’re both doing really well.”

Source: EWrestlingNews

Miro Returns To AEW, Defeats Johnny Elite On Dynamite

“The Redeemer” ended his seventh-month AEW hiatus to face John Morrison on the June 1 edition of Dynamite on TBS.

Miro returned to AEW, cut a promo on God himself, and defeated Johnny Elite on this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite on TBS.

It all went down at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California on June 1. The segment in which Miro made his long-awaited return began with hometown boy Johnny Elite making his way to the ring ahead of the match with a mystery opponent. The mystery was soon revealed when the man known as “The Redeemer” appeared on the big screen in a pre-taped promo vignette.

In his promo, Miro resumed his war with God and vowed to take God’s home by force … make of that what you will. The Bulgarian’s music started playing after the promo concluded, and Miro made his way to an AEW ring for the first time since last November.

In the ring, Miro made fairly short work of his fellow former WWE Superstar, finishing Johnny off with the brutal Game Over submission maneuver.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1532162319836381184

Miro has reportedly been nursing a hamstring injury for some time, which explains why he has worked a match since losing to Bryan Danielson at Full Gear on November 13.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required and recommended), Miro injured his hamstring prior to taking a hiatus from in-ring duties, which is why his leg was bandaged up during his last few matches. There was no official word from either Miro or AEW regarding recovery time, but the former TNT Champion appeared in a hype vignette on the Christmas Day (which also happens to be Miro’s birthday) edition of Rampage.

As you might recall, The artist formerly known as Rusev won the TNT Championship after defeating Darby Allin in the main event of the May 12 edition of AEW Dynamite on TNT. Miro plowed through veterans like Lance Archer and demolished upstarts like Dante Martin during his 141-day reign, but lost the title to Sammy Guevara on the September 29 edition of AEW Dynamite.

Source: TheSportster

Miro Working On New “East New York” TV Series

AEW star Miro is currently working on a new TV series in New York City.

Miro revealed on Twitter and Instagram this week that he has been living in Brooklyn, and working on a pilot for a new project. His IMDB page shows that he is filming for a TV series called “East New York,” which is currently in pre-production.

The IMDB page also says Miro plays a character called Nikolai Dushkin, which Miro confirmed on Instagram.

“Super excited about this upcoming pilot. Living in Brooklyn has definitely opened my eyes about living in a city, walking to a gym and groceries. #Dushkin,” he wrote on Twitter.

Miro then added in a follow-up on Instagram with the same photo, “Living in Brooklyn for couple of weeks. Very excited about shooting this great pilot!!! Meet Nikolai Dushkin….. and pickles, of course”

The “East New York” cop series also features Richard Kind, Jimmy Smits, Olivia Luccardi, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Kevin Rankin, Amanda Warren, C.S. Lee, Lavel Schley, Edmond Laryea, Oryan Landa, Fred Tolliver Jr., and Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

IMDB notes that the series is being filmed for CBS. Below is the synopsis:

“Follows the recently promoted police captain of East New York, Regina Haywood, who leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are hesitant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting.”

It was revealed earlier this month that Miro signed a new four-year contract extension, which will keep him with AEW until at least early 2026. He has not wrestled since losing to Bryan Danielson at AEW Full Gear on November 13. Miro had been dealing with a hamstring injury for a while, but word is that he’s been cleared to return for quite a while.

https://twitter.com/ToBeMiro/status/1508462267838439424

Source: Wrestling Inc.