Last month, WWE Hall of Fame inductee Edge wrestled would could be his last match against Sheamus on WWE Friday Night Smackdown. It was a memorable encounter and one that The Rated R Superstar requested before he stepped away from the ring, at least for now. It was also the last time the Brawling Brutes frontman wrestled a WWE TV match, leaving many to wonder what is next for the former WWE Champion.
Fightful reports that Sheamus’ current WWE contract is believed to expire in the first or second quarter of 2024. He is not the only top WWE star to have their contract coming up next year, as it was also noted that WWE NXT Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and Drew McIntyre also have their contracts coming up next year. With that said, pro wrestling contracts notoriously have caveats that can extend the length of it past the original agreement. Most commonly, time can be added to a contract for time spent away from the ring due to injury, and it is unclear if that is the case for anyone mentioned.
All three talents were among “a ton” of WWE talents that signed five-year contracts in 2018 and are set to expire next year. There were other contracts negotiated after 2018 that will also come up next year, but none were explicitly stated. It was teased that this year is shaping up to be one of the biggest ever when it comes to free agents.
Another big name that has been touting their potential free agency next year is AEW World Champion MJF. Friedman has routinely referenced the “bidding war of 2024” on the horizon when his current AEW contract expires, on top of referencing his close relationships with top WWE executives like Bruce Prichard. If the current AEW Champ does make the leap to WWE, he will not be the first AEW talent to do so. Former Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes successfully made the jump at the top of 2022 and has become one of the company’s top stars. Jade Cargill is also rumored to be making the leap and is reportedly a top priority with the WWE creative team.