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Timing is everything.

Chris Bey was announced as IMPACT Wrestling‘s latest signee this week but the deal might not have been put together as quickly as some have speculated. According to a source speaking with Wrestlezone, Bey had actually signed with the company a couple of months ago, and IMPACT had just made the announcement this week.

On Tuesday, the company aired a vignette and confirmed Bey had signed a contract with the company, posting the following statement on social media:

We’re incredibly excited to announce that @DashingChrisBey has signed with IMPACT Wrestling!

The timing of the announcement was noteworthy due to Bey also being mentioned earlier that morning by Cody Rhodes on an All Elite Wrestling media call as someone he showed interest in. Cody’s answer was in response to a writer’s question about AEW pursuing more people of color in 2020, and he noted Bey as someone he’d been watching footage of. Cody made it clear that he had not talked to him in an official capacity, but called Bey a “prime example of a guy that could be potentially good for our singles division.”

Related: Chris Bey Signs With IMPACT Wrestling

IMPACT made their announcement about eight hours later during their broadcast, leading some people to speculate that AEW somehow “lost out” and waited too long on signing Bey. It’s unknown when exactly Bey did sign, but we were told it was “sometime” at the end of 2019—not this week.

IMPACT did not confirm any other details regarding contract terms at the time of their announcement. Bey has appeared for several TV promotions including WWE, Ring Of Honor and IMPACT Wrestling, including being featured on IMPACT’s Las Vegas television tapings earlier this month. Bey has also been a staple on the independent scene, working frequently for GCW, Without A Cause, Bar Wrestling and Suburban Fight Pro.

Related: Cody Rhodes – AEW Dynamite Atlanta Media Call Highlights, Full Audio