William Regal’s impending return to WWE will see the British star work behind the scenes in an unspecified role.
On this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite Regal was betrayed by AEW World Champion MJF, who laid out the Brit with some brass knuckles.
It has been reported that this is AEW’s way of writing Regal off of TV and marks his final appearance for the wrestling legend for the promotion.
Gone
There has been some speculation that Regal could still stay with AEW, but all signs are pointing to him both leaving, and to him returning to WWE.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that there will be some reference to Regal on next week’s Dynamite.
“Regal’s gone. It’s not like ‘maybe he’s gone, maybe he’s not.’ Regal’s gone. I believe that was his farewell. There’s going to be something on Wednesday’s show, there will be something addressing certain things.”
Next week’s Dynamite will air from the H-E-B Arena in Cedar Park, Texas.
Conflicting Stories
Regal’s departure from AEW has come out of nowhere, given that he has been prominently featured since signing earlier this year.
On his show, Meltzer explained how WWE’s version of events differs from what others have been saying.
“He is going back to WWE. That’s just the deal. I’ve had so many different people tell me so many different stories. The primary source story is that his contract was short-term. The WWE side says he had an out. Did he sign a nine-month deal [with AEW?] Doesn’t sound right.
“The closest thing to what I would say is official is that he signed a short-term deal. Others say he had an out or Tony [Khan] gave him an out.”
Behind the Scenes
Regal was an on-screen presence throughout his AEW run, and it is unconfirmed if he had any official role backstage.
When he returns to WWE, the former Intercontinental Champion is set to resume a role behind the scenes, but it is unclear if he will also have an on-screen presence.
“When he signed it was a three-year deal, supposedly and nine months now it’s over. Sounds weird? But if he had an out, he had an out. Or maybe Tony just said to him ‘hey look. He [WWE’s Head of Creative and Talent Triple H] is your buddy. You can go [to WWE] with the restrictions that maybe you’re not going to be on TV.
“He’s going there to work behind the scenes.”
Dave Meltzer.
“I know he’s going there to work behind the scenes but I don’t know if he’s going over there to be a TV character.”
Regal’s departure has yet to be confirmed by Tony Khan in an official capacity.
