Powerhouse Hobbs’ future appears to be shifting toward WWE following the reported expiration of his AEW contract.
It was previously noted that Hobbs’ deal with All Elite Wrestling expired at midnight on Thursday. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Hobbs was already preparing for a departure, as he was “saying his goodbyes to those in the locker room” during Wednesday night’s AEW event.
Johnson further reported that Hobbs has “been on the WWE radar for some time,” reinforcing growing speculation that a move to WWE is imminent. Additional insight from WrestleVotes Radio suggests that a name change could be part of Hobbs’ transition if he signs with WWE. While a full rebranding has not been ruled out, simply shortening his ring name to “Hobbs” is reportedly under consideration.
There is also belief within industry circles that Hobbs could debut directly on the WWE main roster, potentially landing on SmackDown. Early assumptions had pointed toward a start in NXT, but those expectations now appear to be shifting. As a free agent, Hobbs would be eligible to appear on WWE television immediately should a deal be finalized.
Further context was provided by Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline, who confirmed that the decision to leave AEW was Hobbs’ own.
“He turned down the AEW offer, wanted to go to WWE. For some people it’s the right move and for some people it isn’t… Tony Khan liked him and everything, and he was professional. Tony didn’t take him off TV, so that tells me that he didn’t know he was going. WWE, they were pretty confident. They’ve had him for, I mean, months really.”
If Hobbs does make the jump, it would mark another high-profile talent move between the two major promotions—and potentially set the stage for a fresh start on WWE television in the near future.
