Keith Lee Reportedly to Sign AEW Contract Following WWE Release

Free-agent Keith Lee is reportedly expected to sign with AEW now that his 90-day non-compete clause with WWE has expired.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc.'s Marc Middleton), there have been discussions regarding Lee's joining AEW, and he may have already signed a contract.

Lee was released by WWE in November, and his 90-day non-compete clause expired Wednesday.

WWE signed Lee to a contract in 2018 after he made a name for himself on the independent scene with Ring of Honor, Evolve, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Beyond Wrestling.

Lee quickly developed into a fan favorite with WWE's NXT brand, and all signs pointed toward his having a bright future on the main roster.

Notably, he had a strong showing at the 2019 Survivor Series pay-per-view, eliminating Seth Rollins and being the final member of Team NXT in the match before falling to Roman Reigns.

Lee was then a surprise entrant in the 2020 Royal Rumble match, going toe-to-toe with Brock Lesnar, much to the delight of fans.

The 37-year-old veteran later became North American champion in NXT and then beat Adam Cole for the NXT Championship in a title vs. title match.

He was called up to the main roster shortly thereafter and beat future WWE Hall of Famer Randy Orton in his first pay-per-view singles match, which spoke volumes about how WWE viewed him at the time.

Bad luck derailed Lee's push, though, as he missed five months last year with heart inflammation brought on by COVID-19.

WWE changed his name to Keith "Bearcat" Lee shortly after he returned, but he made only a handful of televised appearances and was let go by the company amid a roster purge.

Lee's fiancee, Mia Yim, was released on the same day, so she is free to sign with another promotion as well.

AEW hasn't been shy about inking former WWE talent, especially those with NXT ties, including Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, Malakai Black, FTR, Andrade El Idolo, Ruby Soho and Mercedes Martinez.

Each signing makes it tougher for existing roster members to get consistent television time, but Lee has star potential and would bring size that AEW largely lacks.

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