Former AEW star Bea Priestley, who now competes as Blair Davenport in WWE, recently looked back on her decision to sign with All Elite Wrestling in its early days back in 2019. In an interview with “That Sweet Pop,” she detailed the conversations she had with AEW executives Kenny Omega and Christopher Daniels, and how they were able to work out a deal that allowed her to continue her commitments in Japan, where she was a champion for the STARDOM promotion. Her story provides a unique insight into the flexible approach AEW took to contracts in its formative years, especially with talent who had established careers in other major promotions around the world. The ability to accommodate her STARDOM schedule was a key factor in her decision to join the upstart company.
She explained that after Christopher Daniels first approached her about a full-time deal, it was Kenny Omega who helped craft an agreement that worked for both sides.
“It was per match appearance until Kenny (Omega), who has always been a good mentor for me. I think he’s always liked how dedicated I am to Japan and that I mix the Joshi and Western style a little bit. Kenny sat me down. Christopher Daniels tried to talk to me about signing full-time with AEW. This was September-October 2019, and I explained, ‘I don’t mean any disrespect.’ I was champion in STARDOM at the time as well. ‘I want to dedicate a lot of my time in STARDOM. I don’t want to up and go because you guys are after me and offered me a contract.’ [Daniels] was like, ‘Okay.’ A week later, Kenny talked to me and was like, ‘You can still work full-time STARDOM. We also want you full-time here. We’re not going to (conflict with) STARDOM dates, STARDOM can come first. We just want to have you when it fits your STARDOM schedule.’ Essentially, what I was already doing, but getting paid on a contract basis and not a per match one, which was great because COVID happened and I was still getting income for a few months.”