Jake Atlas makes AEW debut at Dark tapings
Jake Atlas made his AEW debut at tonight’s Dark tapings in Jacksonville, Florida.
Atlas defeated Serpentico in his first match for the promotion. After the bout, AEW owner/president/GM Tony Khan appeared and shook Atlas’s hand, typically a symbolic gesture indicating a talent has signed with the company, although no official announcement was made to that end.
Atlas, 26, was a west coast indie standout. He appeared on a WWE-themed episode of CBS’s Undercover Boss in 2018 with WWE Chief Branding Officer Stephanie McMahon, then officially signed with WWE in 2019.
Appearing on the NXT and 205 Live brands, Atlas had a run of nearly two years with WWE, then was released from his contract in August 2021.
Atlas announced in September 2021 that he was stepping away from pro wrestling to focus on his mental health and asked for privacy as he stepped away. In an interview with Denise Salcedo, Atlas also announced that he had received counseling and therapy through WWE.