Marko Stunt says he made the difficult decision to retire from professional wrestling due to injuries and a desire to spend more time with his young family.

Stunt made a name for himself wrestling for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), IWA Mid-South, and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as part of the Jurassic Express faction.

Stunt has battled chronic lower back pain stemming from his right hip rotating inward, has caused misalignment in his tailbone and legs. During an interview with Love Wrestling, he says the condition left his right leg weaker and shorter, risking further complications, including potential paralysis.

He made every effort to remain in the business, including a two-year layoff to rest his body. However, when a return to the ring left him in significant pain, he knew it was time to listen to the advice of his doctors.

“It’s something I’ve been trying to avoid for a while… their recommendation was, for my long-term health, to step away.”

Marko Stunt on his retirement from wrestling

Stunt still loves pro wrestling, and we all know that’s a tough habit to kick. However, he’s looking forward to spending more time with his young family and raising his daughter.

In a sport dominated by giants, where being 6-feet-tall is nothing special, Stunt defied the odds and embraced his biggest disadvantage – his height (billed at 5’2″). The self-proclaimed ‘Mr. Fun Size’ did the impossible and will be an inspiration to others who want to pursue their dreams, despite not being the prototype for success.

Watch Marko Stunt’s interview with Pluggo from Love Wrestling:

Marko Stunt announced his retirement from professional wrestling, expressing deep gratitude to his fans, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), and his peers in the wrestling community for their unwavering support and the opportunities they provided throughout his career. He explained that this decision was made after consulting with doctors and prioritizing his long-term health, acknowledging it as one of the most challenging choices of his life. Wrestling brought Marko immense passion and joy. Stepping away is a difficult but necessary move.

Reflecting on his career, Marko Stunt shared heartfelt thanks to AEW for giving him the chance to showcase his talents on national television, fulfilling a lifelong dream. He expressed appreciation to the production team, his fellow wrestlers, and everyone who made AEW feel like home.

He also highlighted the pivotal role GCW and Brett Lauderdale played in launching his career, teaching him to embrace his uniqueness and grow into the person and performer he became. Marko’s message extended to all the wrestlers he shared the ring with, acknowledging their roles in shaping his journey and pushing him to his limits.

Marko Stunt reserved special thanks for his fans, who supported and believed in him through every match and show. He noted that their energy, chants, and unwavering support fueled his spirit more than they could ever know.

As he steps away from in-ring competition, Marko takes with him lifelong memories and friendships, and he looks forward to contributing to wrestling in other ways, while remaining connected with the community that turned his dream into reality.

“Thank you for everything.”

Marko Stunt made a surprise return to All Elite Wrestling this week as the unlikely challenger to AEW TNT Champion Jack Perry.

On the July 6, edition of AEW Collision, Perry put his title on the line in an open challenge. The Elite member certainly didn’t expect his challenge to be answered by Stunt, who previously teamed with Perry (who competed as Jungle Boy) and Killswitch (then known as Luchasaurus) in Jurassic Express.

Despite the loud reaction, Stunt was unable to dethrone Perry, who captured the TNT Championship at the recent AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event. In a backstage interview later in the show, Stunt’s segment was interrupted by former ally Killswitch.

This match was Stunt’s first bout for AEW since September 2021. He would later be released from the company in June 2022. It remains to be seen if he’ll appear again in AEW but the interactions between himself, Perry, and Killswitch make clear that the past has not been forgotten.

Marko Stunt in All Elite Wrestling

Stunt made his AEW debut as part of a battle royal during the promotion’s inaugural pay-per-view, AEW Double or Nothing, back in May 2019. It wouldn’t be until December of that year that Stunt first tasted victory in an AEW ring when he and Luchasaurus defeated The Dark Order (Alex Reynolds and John Silver) on AEW Dark. Throughout his AEW run, Stunt competed in 49 matches and boasts a somewhat unfortunate 17-32 win/loss record

Former All Elite Wrestling talent Marko Stunt will return to wrestling after a one-year hiatus. Stunt has been out of action since January 21, 2023, after a loss to Mike Jackson at GCW Take A Picture. He will compete at A Love Letter To Professional Wrestling, presented by Wrestle ACTION, on September 14. 

The announcement was made by an independent wrestling superstar, Brayden Toon, on his X account. Alongside revealing that Stunt will compete on the show, Toon shared a highlight video of the former AEW in-ring work. 

? The second talent announcement for “A Love Letter To Professional Wrestling” is Marko Stunt!!

? Presented by @WrestleACTION1

? Tix go on sale soon!!

? ? Clements High School

? ? – September 14th

? More Talent TBA soon!!!!

? ? – @ivanfirejay pic.twitter.com/1khFMGJ00S

— ?????????? ??????? ???? (@toon_brayden) May 29, 2024

As noted in the post, tickets for the event have yet to go on sale. The event will occur at Clements High School in Athens, Alabama. 

Before Stunt was advertised for the show, the first talent Toon promoted was Derek Neal on May 20. It seems Toon will announce all participants involved in A Letter To Professional Wrestling on X and will likely reveal more names in the coming days. 

Stunt has yet to comment on his upcoming return on social media. However, his comeback will have his fans interested in what’s next in his wrestling career. 

Marko Stunt Working In The Independent Wrestling Scene

Longtime AEW fans may recall Stunt being featured in the company alongside Jack Perry(FKA Jungle Boy) and Killshot (FKA Luchasaurus) as a group. He mainly competed in tag team matches on AEW Dynamite, with them in losing efforts. His last match with AEW was a defeat against Serpentico at AEW Dark on October 5, 2021. The following year, he was quietly let go by the company 

After being let go by AEW in 2022, Stunt has been solely competing on the independent wrestling scene. He would wrestle for several different indie promotions, including Game Changer Wrestling. Currently, It’s unclear if he has any interest in signing with a promotion. 

Hopefully, Stunt’s in-ring return on September 14 will lead to more appearances from him moving forward. 

Tony Khan has made a point of not releasing stars mid-contract until it’s absolutely necessary. Though the AEW owner has also received some criticism for ceasing communication with talents they have decided to let go.

Marko Stunt is one such AEW original whose run with the company ended recently. He made his debut at the promotion’s Inaugural Double Or Nothing event. He left AEW after the officials decided not to renew his contract earlier this year.

The former AEW talent opened up about his departure from the promotion during an interview with NBC Sports Boston. Stunt mentioned how he didn’t have any communication with Khan towards the end of his run:

“I never really had any communication at the end. So I didn’t know if I was getting let go or renewed or anything. I sent out an email and didn’t get a response. I texted him and didn’t get a response.

But about a month before it happened, I did get a call,” said Marko Stunt, “And I got told, not by him, but I did get the phone call that I wasn’t gonna be renewed.”

• Marko Stunt Reacts to Christian Mentioning His Name on AEW

The former AEW star revealed that he texted Tony Khan after receiving the news. He thanked the AEW owner for the opportunities he was given.

The AEW president did respond to this text from Marko Stunt. Khan thanked him in return and said sorry for not being able to find a spot for him moving forward.

Former AEW wrestler Marko Stunt recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about original AEW talent being pushed out for WWE free agents.

“I think that there was a point where they got a taste of what that star power could do…. you know and you know it’s kind of like a drug I guess in a way you you get a little bit and you’re like ooh that felt good that was nice let’s let’s let’s get a little more in here so it just starts waterfalling and waterfalling ….. you’re like oh this guy’s not there anymore let’s bring him in and so that’s kind of where it got you and like it wasn’t that bad when I was like being weaned out, but uh it definitely uh got that way it’s definitely more that way now it feels like.”

Former AEW wrestler Marko Stunt recently spoke with SEScoops correspondent Steve Fall for NBC Sports Boston about hearing his name on AEW Dynamite in a negative context during a heel Christian Cage promo.

“Let me put it this way: I was not aware. I was not aware that it was going to be said or anything or that when my name was going to be thrown out in any context because it hasn’t been since October and for them (AEW) to do it in that context I thought it’s kind of lame.”

He continued, ”I mean, it makes sense though in a way you know like I was and I was a part of that group before him and what he’s basically saying is he came in and got me fired. So in story sense, love it. In real life sense you know….it is what it is.”

Did Christian take Marko’s Spot in Jurassic Express?

Later, Marko Stunt was asked if he feels like Christian intentionally “took his spot” in Jurassic Express.

“I don’t think that he necessarily took my spot because we are two completely different roles for sure,” said Stunt. “I was more of a hype guy and he was more and he’s more of a more of a like leader role.”

Stunt says he didn’t think Christian added anything to Jurassic Express.

“I did not think that he fit with the group at all. I didn’t think he added any sort of dynamic. I think it would have been better to have him mentor, or really, what it was, was him mentoring Jack and that’s ultimately the the whole goal with that.”

I and you know they’re setting up Jack to do great things you know they’re setting him up to have this great push right now … and I’ve known that he was going to do that from the start. He’s one of my best friends that I made there and like we still talked to the day and he even texted me when it happened”.

Catch Steve Fall’s full interview with former AEW star Marko Stunt:

AEW star Eddie Kingston appeared on this week’s episode of the Talk Is Jericho podcast. The independent veteran would discuss a number of topics from his time on the road, working with a number of AEW stars and his tryout with WWE.

During the show Chris Jericho and Kingston would discuss characters in AEW, with special praise being given to the younger talent such as Orange Cassidy. Jericho and Cassidy have been feuding on Dynamite and their program seemingly culminated at this past weekend’s ALL OUT PPV.

Even still, Jericho would admit that there were three younger ‘characters’ in AEW that he did not like initially. Chris Jericho would even say that he needed to get his “head out of my a**” to appreciate them as workers.

Chris Jericho on Younger Talent

“The idea of wrestling is to be different and get over” Chris Jericho began on the podcast. “If you can do that? You’ll make money. And listen, is it a six foot eight muscle guy? We went through that phase. Is it a five foot six guy with a mask? We went through that phase.”

• Tony Khan Provides The Latest Update On Matt Hardy

Chris Jericho would then reveal the three talents that he had an issue with initially. “When I first came in here [to AEW]? I had a big issue, or problem, with Marko Stunt, Orange Cassidy, and Chuck Taylor.”

“Instead of Rey Mysterio and Bobby Eaton…and I don’t know what Orange Cassidy would even be related to, you know!? You now have Marko who’s a smaller guy, and we have Chuck Taylor, who’s doesn’t have the best physique but he’s a great wrestler. Then we got Orange, he was completely carved out this whole new character for himself. As soon as I actually pulled my head out of my ass I went ‘holy sh*t this guy is over.’ That’s what it’s all about.”

Do you agree with Chris Jericho? Were you not a fan of Orange Cassidy and you’ve changed your opinion of him? Let us know in the comments

All Elite Wrestling’s Marko Stunt has addressed how his size initially stopped him from pursuing his dreams of becoming a pro wrestler. Speaking with Chris Jericho on Talk is Jericho, Stunt confessed how negativity has a major impact on him:

“[…] growing up, I never really saw myself as a different size because I’ve always been this size,” Stunt said. “I don’t know what it’s like to be any taller. I’ve always had the mentality of like, ‘Oh, if I want to do that, I’m gonna do it,’ you know? I’m really bad about taking negative things the wrong way, like I’ve always taken negative things to heart, so it’s had to get on Twitter and see a bunch of stuff now. But even back when I wanted to do it growing up, I had people telling me I shouldn’t, I’m too small, so I kinda threw that away for a long time.”

Marko Stunt In Person Vs. On Screen

Stunt also explained how it’s a different experience to watch him live versus on TV. He admitted that he’s trying to improve on connecting with fans through their screens and not just with those in the arena. 

“I’m new to this but I’m definitely used to the being in person, connecting with the crowd that’s there, not necessarily connecting with the crowd that’s watching me from behind a screen. So, I understand watching me on TV and being like, ‘Okay, well such and such and such and such,’ because I’m not connecting with them.”

He continued, “But being in a stadium or something, I feel like I connect well with that crowd specifically. I feel like I’m able to read them to an extent and either they like me or they don’t. But usually I’m able to connect with them and I feel like I have a decent charisma about me and it’s not necessarily my wrestling, either.”

During their conversation, Stunt also shared how The Big Show was his favorite wrestler growing up. It was The Big Show that actually got him interested in wrestling. He then divulged how he gravitated towards Superstars like Big Show, Kane and The Undertaker. This was because he “wanted to be tall. I wanted to be big.”

Marko Stunt has previously addressed fan criticism over his size. AEW World Champion Chris Jericho would defend the Jurassic Express member following Stunt’s Dynamite debut.

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

All Elite Wrestling’s Marko Stunt has addressed the criticism some have lobbied at him regarding his size. Appearing on AEW’s Road To Memphis video via the promotion’s official YouTube channel, Stunt confessed when he first saw the reactions he “did not take it well at first.”

“When I first showed up in AEW, they didn’t understand why I was there,” Marko said. “They didn’t understand why I got booked or why I got hired or anything. Cause why would this 5-foot-1 kid from Olive Branch, Mississippi be on national TV?”

He continued, “I did not take it well at first. The first couple months, I was very depressed, and I didn’t feel like I should be wrestling.”

Several wrestlers came to the defense of Marko Stunt following the online backlash, including AEW World Champion Chris Jericho.

Marko Stunt On Embracing His Passion

The Jurassic Express member stressed that, whether fans side with him or dislike him, he is committed to his role within AEW. He highlighted his passion for wrestling and how he wants to “live that passion” and continue growing as a person and performer.

“You make that your thing and you be the best you can be at that, who’s gonna tell you no? Who’s gonna be able to tell you no if you’re the best at that? You make yourself the best at that. You live your dreams.”

Marko Stunt will be in action this Wednesday. He joins Jungle Express to take on Best Friends and Orange Cassidy on AEW: Dynamite in six-man tag team action.

If you use any quotes from this article, please provide a H/T to SEScoops.

All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho has seen the negative response some fans have had regarding Marko Stunt. Stunt made his in-ring debut this week, replacing an injured Luchasaurus.

Taking to Twitter, Jericho addressed the criticisms lobbied at Stunt. He defended the AEW wrestler, comparing him to stalwart talents such as Rey Mysterio, Ultimo Dragon and Dean Malenko.

“Laughing at ppl complaining that @MarkoStunt is too small & a “disgrace to pro wrestling!” Funny thing is I thought the same thing about @reymysterio the first time I met him in 93. I also saw @TheUltimoDragon get REAMED out by his boss when he first brought Rey to Japan in 95.”

He followed up by explaining how Dean Malenko was once laughed out the WCW locker room for standing up for Mysterio in 1996. Both Malenko and Mysterio were then congratulated afterwards once they had an opportunity to show what Mysterio was capable of in the ring.

“Times have changed & Marko IS small,” Jericho explained. “But most of the workers on the roster are smaller in 2019 then the 90s.

For Jericho, the only thing that matters is whether you can connect with the crowd. He believes Stunt has accomplished this adding that, at one point in time, he was told he was too small to succeed in pro wrestling. “Over is over,” he stated. “I was once told I was “too small” to be a wrestler too…& I did ok!”

Marko Stunt competed in the AEW Tag Team Championship tournament this week on Dynamite. After an injury forced Luchasaurus out of the match on short notice, Stunt teamed with Jungleboy and represented Jurrasic Express against the Lucha Bros. Jurassic Express lost the match but Stunt opened up about the experience in a post published on his Facebook page.

“I wasn’t originally supposed to be there this week,” Stunt begins the post. “Luckily, for some reason, they asked me to come in this past Friday, and I was going to be on AEW Dark this coming Tuesday.” 

“In a very unfortunate situation, Luchasaurus was injured just 2 hours before the show, and they asked me to step in. The most nervous and uncomfortable I’ve been was right there at that moment. I was being asked to step in the ring with two of the best on 2 hours notice, on national television, for my tv debut.”

“Despite any of that, myself and jungleboy went out there and gave it our all, and we hung with, quite possibly, the best tag team out there. We proved why we belong.”

Stunt then commented on people who don’t believe he should be in AEW during the post.

“Yeah, there’s still people that don’t like it, and don’t think I should be there, and that’s fine. I’m still there, and there’s nowhere to go but up from here!”

He then thanked his supporters:

“Thank you to the ones who have actually supported me through this absolutely nuts journey!”

All Elite Wrestling’s Marko Stunt recently spoke with media at Starrcast III. He addressed his inclusion into Jurassic Express alongside Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus and the dynamic between them, as well as the freedom that AEW has afforded him.

“Originally, it was just supposed to be me and Jungle Boy, and then those two were already a team there,” Stunt explained. “They were an incredible team, and I just so happened to be put with them. It worked out, and I think we have a super dynamic team because we have something that nobody’s ever seen before. We have a walking dinosaur, a kid that lived in the jungle and an actual kid. How different can you get from that?”

Stunt continued, sharing that AEW has given him all the freedom that he could want.

“I get to go out there and show everyone who Marko Stunt is. Not necessarily who they want Marko Stunt to be, but who I’ve made Marko Stunt be,” he said. “That’s an incredible place to be because it gives me so many more opportunities to learn from what I’m doing and what I could be doing. Down the road, it only goes up.”

Jurassic Express recently competed in a losing effort against SoCal Uncensored during AEW’s All Out pay-per-view on August 31st.

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

After he made appearances at two of the first three AEW events, indie star Marko Stunt has now officially signed a contract with All Elite Wrestling.

Stunt who is celebrating his 23rd birthday today took on his Twitter account and revealed he has officially signed an AEW contract:

“It’s my 23rd birthday, and I can’t think of another way to celebrate, than by announcing something huge! I would like to announce that I have OFFICIALLY signed with @AEWrestling! Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and everyone at AEW! This is just the beginning”

Marko Stunt first gained attention last year when he performed at Joey Janela’s Lost in New York event with Game Changer Wrestling, after which he got booked for All In.

He competed in the Zero Hour Over The Budget Battle Royal at the show and he then went on to compete in the Casino Battle Royal at AEW’s first PPV event in Double Or Nothing.

While he didn’t appear at Fyter Fest, Stunt was once again brought back for Fight For The Fallen where he was at the corner of Jungle Boy & Luchasaurus for their match.

He got involved in the triple threat tag team match they were competing in and it’s likely that he will become a regular member of their team after officially being signed by the company.

Another up-and-coming star on the independent scene has gone down to injury. “Mr. Fun Size” Marko Stunt revealed following last night’s show that he suffered a broken fibula at Game Changer Wrestling’s PPV last night.

Stunt was wrestling Eli Everfly when the injury occurred. Twitter user @GIFSkull posted video of the injury:

https://twitter.com/GIFSkull/status/1063681752537788416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1063681752537788416&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fightful.com%2Fwrestling%2Fmarko-stunt-set-undergo-surgery-after-suffering-leg-injury-joey-janela-s-la-confidential

Stunt is already scheduled for surgery this morning. He sent out the following Tweet after the event:

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to check on me, or wished me a speedy recovery! Unfortunately I did suffer a bad break in my leg tonight. I have to have surgery in a few hours, and will keep everyone updated

— Mr. Fun Size (@realmarkostunt) November 17, 2018

“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to check on me, or wished me a speedy recovery! Unfortunately, I did suffer a bad break in my leg tonight. I have to have surgery in a few hours, and will keep everyone updated”

Marko Stunt Breaks Leg On Game Changers Wrestling PPV

Less than 3 weeks after both Joey Janela and Marko Stunt appeared at All In, Janela wrestled Psychosis on a GCW PPV. While diving from the ring ropes to the floor, Janela suffered multiple injuries to his knees. He required surgery and is expected to be out 9 months to a year.

Janela posted the following to Twitter early this morning in regards to Stunt’s injury:

Unfortunately my man @MarkoStunt suffered a bad break of his Fibula and needs immediate surgery in the morning, can we take care of him in whatever means necessary everyone? ?

— “The Bad Boy” Joey Janela (@JANELABABY) November 17, 2018

“Unfortunately my man @MarkoStunt suffered a bad break of his Fibula and needs immediate surgery in the morning, can we take care of him in whatever means necessary everyone?”