It’s quite astonishing to realize that The Young Bucks, Nick and Matt Jackson, once seriously contemplated signing with WWE. AEW executives and wrestlers have confirmed that, indeed, WWE negotiations took place.
In a recent chat on the Adam’s Apple podcast, Nick admitted they were “pretty close” to joining WWE, with Matt recalling that 2019 was the year they seriously considered the move. Although there wasn’t a signed contract, talks were ongoing, but at that time, they were equally excited about their work in Japan and India, and WWE seemed eager to finalize a deal. Notably, 2019 also marked AEW’s groundbreaking launch. The Young Bucks made their AEW debut on the October 2, 2019, episode of Dynamite, teaming with Kenny Omega in a losing effort against Chris Jericho, Santana, and Ortiz. Since then, the roster and circumstances have shifted, with Santana now in TNA, Jericho’s AEW status unclear, and Ortiz on hiatus.
Reflecting on the “what if” scenario, The Young Bucks were among the most sought-after free agents in wrestling at that time, and had they joined WWE, they likely would have been positioned strongly in the tag team division, which was then led by teams such as The Bar, Bobby Roode & Chad Gable, and The Revival. If they’d started in WWE’s NXT, they might have squared off against AEW stars like Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, and Adam Cole, all former NXT rivals turned AEW competitors. This raises the intriguing question of whether AEW would have developed into the powerhouse it is today if the Bucks had chosen WWE instead.
Fan Take: This revelation underscores the intense competition between WWE and AEW for top talent and highlights just how pivotal The Young Bucks have been in shaping modern wrestling. For WWE fans, it’s fascinating to imagine how the landscape might have changed if the Bucks had joined WWE, potentially altering the wrestling world as we know it.
