The Young Bucks are set to become free agents in January 2019. Photo by Anton (flickr) [ CC License

Popular wrestling faction The Elite are expected to be free agents in January 2019

Rumors are running rampant that they will announce their own wrestling company

What will 2019 bring for members of The Elite and their possible promotion?

2019 is shaping up to be an extremely exciting year for the wrestling world, especially for fans of The Elite. The popular stable consisting of Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Adam Page, and Marty Scurll recently made headlines by officially distancing themselves from Bullet Club, confirming that their next move in the business will be together.

With everyone from the faction (sans Scurll) expected be a free agent as soon as January, they can sign virtually anywhere they please. Then again, it’s also possible they create their own promotion instead, which will reportedly be called All Elite Wrestling.

Sportsbooks currently have odds up for where wrestling fans believe The Elite will end up come 2019.

Who Will The Elite Sign Their Next Contract With?

Kenny Omega

Which Promotion Will Kenny Omega Sign With Next? Odds All Elite Wrestling -500 WWE +300 New Japan Pro Wrestling +600 Field +800

The Young Bucks

Which Promotion Will The Young Bucks Sign With Next? Odds All Elite Wrestling -750 New Japan Pro Wrestling +600 WWE +1200 Field +400

Cody Rhodes

Which Promotion Will Cody Rhodes Sign With Next? Odds All Elite Wrestling -1200 New Japan Pro Wrestling +600 WWE +900 Field +600

Adam Page

Which Promotion Will Adam Page Sign With Next? Odds All Elite Wrestling -300 WWE +400 New Japan Pro Wrestling +500 Field +400

Ideally, the entire Elite would likely make the most amount of money signing with WWE, but it’s doubtful that they would be utilized correctly. AJ Styles is one of the few world renowned wrestlers to come to WWE and thrive at the level he has, but considering The Elite have been enemies of WWE for so long, fans are smart to bet on them starting up their own company instead.

The odds show Omega, Rhodes, Page and The Young Bucks joining All Elite Wrestling and potentially bringing a few other major independent wrestlers with them. There, they’d have complete creative control over their characters and not be restricted to one particular promotion.

If not All Elite Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling is a decent bet as well given that’s where Omega, Rhodes and The Young Bucks initially rose to super stardom. Then again, they’ve accomplished all that they can there and would benefit from a change in scenery.

New Japan Pro Wrestling is a decent bet as well given that’s where Omega, Rhodes and The Young Bucks initially rose to super stardom.

The Elite are far from the only ones involved in this rumored project, however. WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross will apparently be on-board as well in some capacity, and sportsbooks have odds up on what role he will ultimately have with All Elite Wrestling.

What Role Will Jim Ross Have with All Elite Wrestling?

What Role Will Jim Ross Have with All Elite Wrestling? Odds Will Not Be a Part of AEW +150 Head Office +175 General Manager +225 Commentator +300

It appears as if fans aren’t entirely certain of how exactly Ross will be involved with All Elite Wrestling, if at all. The belief is that he won’t be a part of the promotion at the beginning, but he does decide to throw his name in the hat, he’d have more of a role behind the scenes than in front of the camera.

Truthfully speaking, that is the best possible position for Ross right now, given his recent commentary work with NJPW hasn’t been up to snuff and has exposed his lack of knowledge of the current product. That said, he once served as Head of Talent Relations for WWE, so he has expertise in that area and could be a valuable asset in the office.

Despite not much being known about All Elite Wrestling at the moment, fans are banking on a TV deal being announced sooner rather than later.

None of this will matter if All Elite Wrestling can’t land a television deal from the start. In order for the promotion to be true competition to WWE, they need to be on a notable network and doing decent ratings, which will be easier said than done.

Despite not much being known about All Elite Wrestling at the moment, fans are banking on a TV deal being announced sooner rather than later, if the following odds from sportsbooks are any indication:

Will All Elite Wrestling Announce a TV Deal?

Will All Elite Wrestling Announce a TV Deal? Odds Yes -200 No +150

Either AXS TV or Pop TV would be perfectly suitable platforms for All Elite Wrestling, but it will take more than that for The Elite to make a real splash.

Those familiar with the faction would know that they take their time with everything they do and do build up better than anyone (see: All In), so expect them to announce parts of the promotion little by little in the coming months (assuming it is indeed coming to fruition).

Will All Elite Wrestling Be Announced by January 31, 2019?

Will All Elite Wrestling Be Announced by the End of January? Odds Yes -250 No +170

As noted, January 2019 should be when the contracts of many of these talents are up, so it seems to be the right time for them to make All Elite Wrestling official, and it looks like fans feel that same way. Whether it will live up to its full potential as an alternative to WWE remains to be seen, but it certainly has promise to be the next big thing that the wrestling industry desperately needs.