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At the start of 2019, new stories were emerging every week about a WWE Superstar requesting their release or refusing to sign a new contract with the company.
Fast forward six months and the situation has completely changed, with several main-roster talents agreeing lengthy deals to extend their stay with Vince McMahon’s promotion.
In one of the most surprising contract U-turns of the year, it has been widely reported over the last few days that Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson are on the verge of signing new five-year deals to remain with WWE.
It had been expected that both members of The Club would depart when their contracts expired later this year, but that no longer appears to be the case following their reunion with AJ Styles on the most recent episode of Raw.
In this article, let’s take a look at nine other WWE Superstars who have decided to extend their deals in 2019 so far.
#9 AJ Styles
In November 2018, AJ Styles mentioned at the end of his ‘WWE 365’ documentary that he planned on signing an extension to his WWE contract when it expired in 2019.
As the first few months of the year progressed and no update was given on his future, fans began to speculate whether “The Phenomenal One” was going to sign a new deal with the company after all or whether he could sign with AEW or NJPW.
The two-time WWE champion then brought a definitive end to the talk regarding his contract status when he casually revealed on March 18 that, as well as adding a new pet to his family, he had also signed a new deal with WWE.
Since then, Styles has remained a key part of WWE programming, facing Randy Orton at WrestleMania 35 before going on to challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship at Money In The Bank.
Following his reunion with The Club and subsequent heel turn on July 1, it looks as though he will be involved a lot more in the coming months on Raw.
#8 Kurt Angle
Although Kurt Angle officially retired from in-ring competition following his farewell loss against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35, he also signed a new five-year contract to continue working for the company in a behind-the-scenes role.
The part-time deal enables the WWE Hall of Famer to work as a producer, while he has also not ruled out appearing on-screen again in a managerial capacity.
#7 Jinder Mahal
Former WWE champion Jinder Mahal has mostly been used as a comedy character on Raw and SmackDown Live in 2019, notably when he was involved in 24/7 Championship segments with R-Truth on a golf course and at Frankfurt airport during WWE’s trip to Saudi Arabia.
Although “The Modern Day Maharajah” no longer has anywhere close to the amount of momentum that he had as WWE champion, he has still proven himself to be a reliable performer whenever he is called upon to be in a meaningful storyline.
That is why it was no surprise in June when Pro Wrestling Sheet revealed that he recently signed a new five-year contract.
#6 The Undertaker
Earlier this year, The Undertaker found himself in an unfortunate situation where he had been booked to appear at Starrcast II – an event closely associated with AEW’s Double or Nothing – and he was also scheduled to participate in a Q&A in the UK.
For obvious reasons, WWE did not want the WrestleMania icon to appear at the events, so he was pulled from Starrcast II and the UK appearance changed from a Q&A to a meet and greet.
It was later reported by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer that ‘Taker agreed a new contract with WWE which prevents him from taking outside bookings.
#5 Mojo Rawley
Mojo Rawley has only competed in two matches on Monday Night Raw in 2019, with most of his appearances this year coming in backstage promo segments or in front of the live audience during commercial breaks.
Despite his lack of television time of late, it was reported by Pro Wrestling Sheet in June that the former Hype Bro has agreed a new multi-year deal with WWE, but the exact length of the contract has not been disclosed.
#4 and #3 The Usos
Six-time Tag Team champions The Usos have been a major part of WWE’s tag team division for the last 10 years, so it came as a surprise in early 2019 when it was widely reported that AEW had an interest in signing Jimmy & Jey when their WWE contracts expired.
However, like many of the names on this list, the speculation did not last for very long, as the duo signed new deals in April to extend their contracts with the company until 2024.
#2 and #1 Mike & Maria Kanellis
In January 2019, reports emerged that Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson, Mike Kanellis and Maria Kanellis had asked for their releases, so WWE decided to take advantage of the speculation by occasionally mentioning their contract statuses as part of their on-screen storylines.
While both members of The Revival are yet to re-sign with WWE, despite reportedly being offered new deals, Mike & Maria recently agreed five-year contracts with the company.
Who do you think should be the next Superstar to sign a new deal? Did we miss anybody from this list? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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