After being away from TV for more than three months, Jade Cargill made her AEW return on the Sept. 9 episode of Collision, making it clear that she had her eyes on regaining the TBS Championship from the woman who won the title from her, Kris Statlander.
But it appears her return may be a short one, and that she could pop up sooner rather than later somewhere else.
Fightful Select (subscription required) reports that despite Cargill being scheduled for a championship rematch with Statlander on Rampage (which was taped Wednesday night after Dynamite in Cincinnati), she is “likely finished up with All Elite Wrestling.” The outlet’s sources in both AEW and WWE “believe she is headed to WWE,” though the report cautions there was no confirmation of an official offer being made, nor clarification on exactly how much time was left on her current AEW deal.
The 31-year-old Cargill is still a relative newcomer to pro wrestling, first training in 2019 after a college basketball career at Jacksonville University. She is a legit homegrown AEW star, making her pro wrestling debut for the company in November 2020.
AEW showed faith in her from the start, keeping her undefeated as a singles competitor for more than two years. Cargill became the inaugural TBS Champion on Jan. 5, 2022 and held the title until earlier this year at Double or Nothing. Her 508-day reign is the longest for any AEW champion in the company’s four-year history.
As far as her fit in WWE, Cargill has an incredible look that should scream legitimacy even to fans who haven’t seen her work in AEW. Her strength will help her match up against even the powerhouses of the WWE women’s division, and it’s not hard to imagine the company doing fun things with her against the likes of Rhea Ripley or Raquel Rodriguez.
Though Cargill has had a mouthpiece in Mark Sterling for most of her AEW run, she has cut a fair number of her own promos and improved on the microphone. If this Friday really is the last we see of her in AEW, it’s safe to say she made quite the impact for someone so new to the business, and even hints that WWE is interested in her is testament to how far and how quickly she’s climbed.