Chris Jericho opened up about AEW’s decision to release Bea Priestley and Sadie Gibbs during his latest Saturday Night Special podcast. As documented by Sportskeeda , Jericho revealed that their inability to work shows due to the pandemic was the contributing factor behind Tony Khan’s decision.
However, Jericho also speculated that their respective releases don’t necessarily mean the end of their AEW careers in the long term. He just doesn’t know when the opportunity will present itself for the performers to return to the fold.
“I think Bea lives in Japan but also England or whatever. Same with Sadie. I mean, I give Tony Khan credit for continuing to keep as many people on the roster from Europe as he did. I mean there’s a lot of people from Europe that he’s still paying. And unfortunately, Bea and Sadie were let go but I would have to think, that as long as they keep working and honing their craft, that when all of this goes away and allowed to travel again. Who knows? That could be six months from now.”
The former World Champion said that Gibbs and Priestley are both “great people” and he hopes to see them back in the promotion at a later date. He also wished them good luck in the meantime.
Jericho’s words suggest that the performers still have a lot to learn when it comes to professional wrestling, but he sees a lot of potential in both women. The pair appear to have left the company on good terms, though, which could mean they’re brought back in eventually.
As The Inquisitr reported earlier this week, Gibbs said that she was thankful for the opportunity. She also praised Khan and seemed to understand why she’d been let go.
Gibbs also said that “circumstances” affected her release. The wrestler hadn’t competed for the promotion since 2019, and the pandemic has caused most companies to make cutbacks. AEW hasn’t released too many employees, but there are stars there who haven’t been able to work in recent months.
Jimmy Havoc was also let go with Gibbs and Priestley. However, the English wrestler was already serving a suspension after abuse allegations against him came out earlier this year. He was subsequently sent for counseling and his employment status was supposed to be decided after he completed his rehabilitation.
As The Inquisitr documented, Havoc’s scandal reportedly factored into the decision to cut ties with the troubled wrestler.