A longtime AEW tag team has officially reached the end of its run with the company.

According to a report from Fightful Select, The Butcher and The Blade are no longer under contract with All Elite Wrestling after their deals recently expired. The report states that AEW chose not to renew either performer, making both men unrestricted free agents.

Because their contracts were allowed to expire rather than being terminated early, The Butcher and The Blade are free to accept bookings and negotiate with other wrestling promotions immediately.

The duo has been part of AEW since the company’s early days. They made their memorable debut on the November 27, 2019 edition of AEW Dynamite, emerging from beneath the ring to ambush Cody Rhodes. Alongside their manager The Bunny—who is also Blade’s real-life wife—they quickly became regular fixtures in AEW’s growing tag team division.

During their time with the promotion, The Butcher and The Blade earned opportunities to compete for the AEW World Tag Team Championships on two separate occasions. Despite remaining a consistent presence on television, they were never able to capture AEW tag team gold.

Their final televised appearance as a team in AEW took place on the January 5, 2024 episode of AEW Rampage. The pair then wrestled what would ultimately be their last match together under the AEW/ROH banner on the January 18, 2024 edition of ROH on HonorClub, where they faced Top Flight.

Shortly after that period, Blade suffered a significant back injury that required spinal fusion surgery. The injury sidelined him for nearly two years, forcing Butcher to continue competing as a singles wrestler across AEW and Ring of Honor programming. Butcher’s final AEW match came on the February 22, 2025 episode of AEW Collision, where he faced Gabe Kidd.

Following Blade’s recovery and return to action, the team reunited on the independent wrestling circuit. The pair even hinted at a possible AEW comeback earlier this year, leading some fans to speculate that another run with the promotion could be in the cards.

Instead, their AEW chapter has now officially come to a close.

With years of experience, established name value, and immediate free-agent status, The Butcher and The Blade are likely to attract interest from a variety of promotions as they determine the next step in their wrestling careers. Their departure also marks the exit of another act that helped shape AEW during its formative years, ending a run that began nearly seven years ago.