Former WWE champion reportedly working in a new role in AEW

A former WWE champion has been working in a backstage role in AEW for the past few months. Reports have indicated that Tony Nese has been involved with All Elite Wrestling as a coach and producer.

The 40-year-old is a former WWE Cruiserweight Champion and made his debut in the Stamford-based promotion in 2016, during the company's Cruiserweight Classic tournament. During his tenure with the company, Nese worked in the undercard as a cruiserweight in several storylines. However, in 2021, The Premier Athlete was released from the company and made his AEW debut the same year.

Now, according to Fightful Select, Nese has been working with All Elite Wrestling as a coach for the show. As per the report, the 40-year-old was listed as an agent and coach for last week's episode of Collision.

Tony Nese joined All Elite Wrestling in 2021. Since then, he has competed in several matches on Dynamite and Collision. More recently, Nese has been working as an on-screen talent in Ring of Honor as well.

Tony Nese competed on ROH Supercard of Honor amid an AEW hiatus

Tony Nese has been on a hiatus from All Elite Wrestling since March this year. His last match on AEW TV was on the March 5 episode Collision, where he teamed up with Arya Daivari against The Outrunners. However, the 40-year-old recently competed at the ROH Supercard of Honor event.

On 11 July 2025, Nese competed at the Zero Hour of the ROH Supercard of Honor in Arlington, Texas. He teamed up with his long-time partner, Arya Daivari, to take on Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich.

While Nese and Daivari gave a tough fight, The Von Erichs emerged victorious in the match. It was The Premier Athlete's most recent clash in professional wrestling.

About the author

Anugrah Tyagi is an AEW writer at Sportskeeda. With a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, his academic background is rooted in business. However, his true passion has always been storytelling, especially the kind of tales that unfold in the world of professional wrestling. Writing gave him a way to channel that passion, and soon it turned into his profession. He has been working as a sports journalist for over two years. During this time, he has contributed to multiple prominent sports media outlets.

He first got into pro wrestling in 2014, during the unforgettable Daniel Bryan vs. The Authority storyline in WWE. As a journalist, accuracy and integrity are non-negotiable for Anugrah. He always verifies facts through credible sources before publishing anything. Whether it’s breaking news or analysis, he double-checks details. He has written over 2000 articles so far, with one of his pieces drawing a positive reaction from NXT's Thea Hail.

Anugrah's favorite wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's work ethic, resilience, and unwavering dedication to his craft. If he could travel back to the Attitude Era, he would have loved to manage Chris Jericho. Anugrah feels Y2J was the perfect mix of charisma, rebellion, and in-ring talent in WWE. He would have helped the multi-time world champion scale new heights.

When not watching or writing about pro wrestling, Anugrah likes diving into movies and TV shows, especially ones with strong storytelling. He's also into calisthenics; it's his way of staying grounded and pushing his limits. Anugrah also enjoys reading books and solving puzzles that challenge his thinking ability.

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Edited by Brandon Nell