Tony Khan's AEW is known for delivering massive surprises from time to time, with names from all around the wrestling world showing up on his promotion. The latest chatter about one such potential surprise, however, may even shock the most hardcore AEW supporters and seal a very significant change in the pro wrestling landscape.

After WrestleMania 39, Shane McMahon has kept a low profile, though rumors suggest he may consider returning to professional wrestling. Reports indicate McMahon has reached out to AEW talent about a potential move to the company.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross had discussed the possibility of Shane McMahon joining AEW during his podcast last week. Ross acknowledged that the idea could work if positioned and introduced correctly. He said, "It’s so crazy that it might work, depending on how it was positioned and how it was introduced."

This discussion led to some online chatter about what a deal like that would mean for professional wrestling. The main question is how Shane and Tony Khan would work together creatively if they were to join forces, which depends on Shane's intentions.

On a more recent edition of Grilling JR, co-host Conrad Thompson added more fuel to this fire. He revealed that a 'mutual friend' reached out to him after last week, claiming Shane McMahon had actually had some communication with other AEW talent:

“There was a friend of ours. He went out of his way to text me, ‘Hey, that’s not as crazy as you think. I know for sure that Shane McMahon has reached out to wrestlers on the AEW roster to at least hypothetically discuss the idea.’”

McMahon was quietly “let go” from WWE in 2022 after things did not go well when he was brought in to help plan the Royal Rumble match.

There was significant heat on McMahon over that year’s men’s Royal Rumble match. McMahon was the lead producer for the men’s Rumble and also appeared in the match as an in-ring talent. He had a vision for the Rumble, but much of it was changed.

Over a year later, Shane McMahon’s return to WWE stunned fans during Night 2 of WrestleMania 39. However, his appearance was cut short due to an in-ring accident during his segment with The Miz and Snoop Dogg.

In his first WWE appearance in 14 months, McMahon sustained a torn quad while facing The Miz in an impromptu match. WWE COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque announced after the show that the 53-year-old fell to the mat after his left leg buckled following a leapfrog, prompting the WWE’s medical team to tend to him before assisting him backstage.

With Vince McMahon's exit from the company, we will have to see where Shane-O Mac ends up next. Needless to say, he would be a massive name to walk through any Forbidden Door that AEW has.