Former WrestleMania main eventer was "never considered" to be AEW's Full Gear 2023 signing - Reports

AEW is set for a major night with its fifth annual Full Gear pay-per-view, which will air live from the KIA Forum in Los Angeles, California. Among the stacked match card, All Elite President Tony Khan has indicated that a major free agent will sign their contract with the promotion live on PPV. While some thought this mystery signee could be Ronda Rousey, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Ronda Rousey shocked the wrestling world when she showed up at last night's ROH Honor Club taping. The Baddest Woman on the Planet departed WWE after SummerSlam 2023 and has made a few appearances on the independent circuit since then, teaming with her friend Marina Shafir.

It was earlier reported that no deal had been confirmed between Rousey and Tony Khan's promotions. According to Fightful Select, the former WWE Women's Champion is on a handshake deal with Khan and has not signed with ROH or AEW. The report states that she was never intended to be the mystery signee that was announced for tonight's Full Gear event.

Fightful also noted that Rousey's recent appearances on the indie circuit have been primarily due to her wanting to work with Shafir.

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Industry legend believes Tony Khan's Full Gear signing might be underwhelming

Speculation has been running wild regarding the mystery signee that will be unveiled at tonight's AEW Full Gear pay-per-view. While many names have been mentioned, the frontrunner seems to be NJPW phenom Will Ospreay.

Ospreay has plenty of history with AEW, and a recent report noted that he had been given NJPW's blessing to explore the market before his contract expires next February. All the pieces seem to be lining up for The Aerial Assassin, but Dutch Mantell believes that if he is the signee, it could be underwhelming for some fans.

Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Smack Talk, Mantell said:

"Well, I don't think every wrestling fan knows who Will Ospreay is. I mean, if you follow social media, you might know, and that's the only way I know. I've seen a few matches he's had, but his history beyond what I've seen in the last six months, I don't know about. He may have the respect of every fan when they see him in the ring, but I don't think that's big enough for the announcement that Tony made."

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Who do you think will be signing with AEW at Full Gear tonight? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below!