Tony Khan scrambles to keep Jack Perry as contract talks drag on
AEW is playing a dangerous game with one of its original young stars on the eve of one of its biggest pay-per-views of the year. Jack Perry is currently performing on live television without a signed contract, according to multiple industry reports. Despite the massive risk, AEW president Tony Khan is attempting to project confidence about keeping the former National Champion long-term.
The contract drama became the focal point of the Forbidden Door media call on June 25, 2026, as Wrestling Inc. reported. Khan was asked directly about Perry's contract status and the rumors of him working without a deal. Khan chose to highlight Perry's recent in-ring achievements rather than confirm the exact details of the paperwork.
"The plan for AEW and Jack Perry is for Jack to be here for a long time. I have believed that Jack Perry is a great wrestler for many years and I continue to feel that way. I like Jack very much personally and I think he's got a very bright future in wrestling... The plan is for Jack Perry to be in AEW for a long time."
Negotiating under the bright lights of live television
Industry insiders confirm that the situation is far more urgent behind the scenes than Khan let on. Bryan Alvarez reported on Thursday morning that Perry has not re-signed with the promotion despite ongoing negotiations. This means Perry has been performing on weekly television without the security of a long-term contract.
"As of this morning, Jack Perry still has not re-signed,"
According to the F4WOnline exclusive report, Perry's deal has expired, and he is currently working through negotiations. Allowing an unsigned talent to wrestle on national television is a questionable booking decision that exposes the promotion to significant risk. Perry holds the upper hand in this negotiation, knowing AEW has already invested months of television time into his current storyline.
The creative team's response to this contract impasse was visible on the June 24 broadcast of Dynamite, where Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Perry in a singles match. Sabre is scheduled to face Perry's Elite stablemate Kenny Omega at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view on June 28, 2026. Handing a clean loss to a talent in the middle of negotiations is a classic promotional tactic to protect the company's own assets.
Perry's recent run saw him hold the AEW National Championship for a brief 55 days before dropping the title. He has since been positioned as a key associate of The Elite, providing ringside backup during their high-profile matches. Losing Perry now would derail the central storyline of AEW's summer programming, leaving Khan with a massive creative headache.
Scorpio Sky hits a quiet contract crossroads in Jacksonville
Perry is not the only AEW original whose future is up in the air as the summer heat rises. Scorpio Sky is also approaching the end of his current contract, marking a critical moment for one of the company's founding members. The veteran has spent the last year struggling to find a consistent role on primary television despite being healthy.
Dave Meltzer broke the news in the June 29, 2026 issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, as reported by F4WOnline. The report noted that Sky's contract is set to expire in a few months, and there has been no word on whether the two sides have begun formal talks for an extension. At age 43, Sky represents a different era of AEW roster building.
"Scorpio Sky (Schuyler Andrews, 43) has his contract due in a few months,"
The history-maker relegated to secondary brands
Sky's legacy in AEW is secure, even if his current positioning is a shadow of his former success. He was one of the first talents signed in 2019, forming the SCU stable alongside Frankie Kazarian and Christopher Daniels. Sky and Kazarian went on to become the inaugural AEW World Tag Team Champions, and Sky later became the first African-American champion in company history.
He followed that tag success with a prominent singles run, winning the TNT Championship twice during a heated rivalry with Sammy Guevara. According to Ringside News, tracking data shows that his contract runs through October 2026. This date is the result of a five-year contract extension that Sky signed back in 2021 during his peak singles push.
Despite his championship pedigree, Sky's momentum has completely evaporated over the last two years. He recently returned from a two-year absence from television, during which he admitted he did not know if he would ever return to the company. His return match in 2025 led to the formation of SkyFlight, a faction designed to give him a fresh start.
SkyFlight failing to launch on Collision and Ring of Honor
The SkyFlight faction features Darius Martin, Dante Martin, Leila Grey, Zayda Steel, and manager Christopher Daniels. The group recently added veteran Matt Sydal during the June 20 episode of Collision. However, the bloated faction has failed to secure any meaningful time on Dynamite, AEW's flagship broadcast.
Instead of wrestling on national television, Sky has been relegated to Ring of Honor tapings. He competed in a six-man tag team match alongside Top Flight at the ROH tapings in Jacksonville on Wednesday. For a former double TNT Champion, working web-exclusive matches in front of half-empty arenas is a stark indicator of his current standing in the company.
As the October 2026 expiration date approaches, Tony Khan faces a difficult business decision. AEW's roster is already overcrowded, and paying a veteran salary to a performer who primarily works ROH tapings makes little financial sense. Unless Khan has a sudden creative breakthrough, one of AEW's original trailblazers is quietly heading toward the exit door.
