Is Bandido Elite?
According to a new report from F4WOnline.com’s Dave Meltzer (via the Wrestling Observer Newsletter), Bandido has been offered a contract by All Elite Wrestling.
Bandido debuted for AEW as the opponent for ROH World Champion Chris Jericho on Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite in Philadelphia. It was reported that Bandido was “immediately” offered the contract by AEW after the match. Despite the contrct offer, it was noted that there’s no indication Bandido actually signed the deal.
Bandido is a former ROH World Champion, holding the title for 152 during his lone reign. He never actually lost the title, as he ended up vacating it due to testing positive for COVID-19 and missing ROH Final Battle in December 2021.
In addition to his ROH World title reign, Bandido also held the company’s Six-Man Tag Team Championship. Since departing ROH (after Sinclair put the promotion on hiatus), Bandido has also worked for IMPACT Wrestling and Major League Wrestling in the United States, as well as AAA and Big Lucha in Mexico.
After Dynamite, Tony Khan came out to raise Bandido's arm and they HUGGED.
He's getting that contract. LFG. pic.twitter.com/ARYA0SQSI7
— Drainmaker ?️ ? (@DrainBamager) September 29, 2022
Earlier this year, Bandido commented on re-signing with ROH instead of joining AEW back in 2019.
“In that moment, the rules for AEW [was] not good for me or my career,” Bandido admitted. “In that moment, New Japan is like my goal. When I started the negotiation with WWE, AEW, and Ring of Honor, Ring of Honor mentioned it in my contract, ‘Also you can go to New Japan,’ and I say, ‘okay, I want to sign, but I want to go to New Japan too.’ They say, ‘Okay, yeah, we’re going to try to help you to go to New Japan”. And they helped me. I did Best of Super Juniors, and I took a match against Will Ospreay, and that was amazing. Yeah, for that reason, I don’t sign with AEW.”
The luchador said that it wasn’t the right time for him back then, but he was open to making the move now if there was mutual interest.
Read More: AEW Dynamite Results (9/28): AEW World Title Eliminator Match And More
