Major AEW duo's contracts set to expire

According to a new update, members of a major AEW tag team are reportedly nearing the end of their current contracts. Both stars were among the earliest signees in Tony Khan's promotion.

Zay and Quen of Private Party helped lay the foundation for the promotion's tag team division in its formative years. Their breakthrough moment came when they defeated The Young Bucks and captured the AEW World Tag Team Championship in October 2024. However, their title run ended three months later in January 2025, when they dropped the gold to Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley of The Hurt Syndicate during an episode of Dynamite. The duo has not been seen on All Elite Wrestling programming since.

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently reported that Zay and Quen's All Elite Wrestling contracts are set to expire soon.

“Private Party’s deals are up very soon,” Meltzer wrote. [H/T: WrestlingNewsCo]

Matt Hardy criticized AEW CEO Tony Khan for his booking of Private Party

After Zay and Quen lost the AEW World Tag Team Championship to The Hurt Syndicate earlier this year, wrestling veteran Matt Hardy criticized Tony Khan for his handling of the talented duo.

Speaking on his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, the former WWE Superstar stated:

“I just feel like you could have gotten so much more done with Private Party. You could have built them [up] so much more, and they could have been staples of your tag division. You could have solidified them as a legit top-tier tag team, but it didn’t happen.'' [H/T: Ringside News]

While the tag team continues to be on a hiatus from the Jacksonville-based promotion, there is currently no further information on whether Zay and Quen plan to re-sign with the company. It will be interesting to see how this situation evolves in the coming days.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Yash Mittal

Major AEW duo's contracts set to expire - Reports

Matt Hardy criticized AEW CEO Tony Khan for his booking of Private Party