AEW Target Ziggler Explains Agreement With WWE, Reigns Skipping RAW?

Dolph Ziggler was not seen in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) since the Royal Rumble pay-per-view in January and there were multiple reports claiming that his contract with the WWE had expired. But the pro-wrestler has cleared the air and explained his situation in terms of the agreement he currently has.

The 38-year-old has been with the promotion for 14 years which is longer than a lot of the current wrestlers on the roster. He has done it all during his time with WWE and has played both roles – babyface and heel – to good effect in recent years.

Ziggler’s recent absence and lack of appearances have seen him being linked with a move to WWE’s newest rival in the pro-wrestling scene – All Elite Wrestling (AEW) – with the new promotion chasing top talent from all across the globe, especially those reaching the end of their contracts with WWE.

AEW was founded by Tony Khan, the son of Pakistani American billionaire Shahid Khan. They have deep pockets and are said to be offering lucrative contracts to anyone willing to jump ship and join the new promotion.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is said to be the latest entrant to the AEW family with multiple reports claiming he will join the new promotion after he leaves WWE on March 29 when his contract expires. But Ziggler has confirmed he is still with the WWE after revealing that he has a “handshake agreement” at the moment.

“Technically, I am, yes," Ziggler said when asked if he was still with the WWE, as quoted by Wrestling Inc. "It's weird because for the last two years I've had somewhat of a handshake agreement, kind of behind closed doors deal with WWE. I've been able to do a lot of things, on my own, not at WWE, just because of the relationship we've had for the last 14 years. I have a bit of a handshake agreement right now, but we'll know some more details in the coming months."

Ziggler was busy with his commitments away from the squared circle in recent months mainly focusing on his burgeoning stand-up comedy career. It is unclear when he will return to the ring, but at the moment he does not seem to be part of any storyline leading up to WrestleMania making his participation unlikely.

Meanwhile, Wrestling Inc. reported that Roman Reigns could skip the upcoming Monday Night Raw episode in Chicago after the former WWE Universal champion was taken out from the advertising in recent days. After initially advertising The Shield, they are now focusing only on Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.

Reigns could be taking a week off from action after a heavy schedule in the two weeks since his return from a five-month absence in order to get treatment for Leukemia.