At one point, Austin Aries was one of the most promising young names in wrestling, and it wouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility to believe that he might one day perform at the industry's highest levels. Though he's had runs with various major companies, including WWE, many would argue that Aries never reached his full potential, and that can likely be attributed to a series of mistakes and controversies that halted his momentum.
In 2016, following notable stints with ROH, TNA and other promotions, Aries finally signed to WWE, joining the company's developmental brand, NXT. After suffering an injury, the promotion had Aries try his hand at commentary, where he often called matches for the cruiserweight division. He later made his in-ring return by joining that division, but his run sputtered out and Aries received his WWE release in 2017.
After leaving WWE, Aries returned to TNA, which had changed its name to Impact Wrestling. He was pushed as a major star there, but his relatively brief run with the promotion wouldn't end well. Aries became the company's top champion in early 2018, but when it came time to drop the title to Johnny Impact (AKA John Morrison) later in the year, something strange happened that greatly impacted Aries' career.
At the match's end, when Impact hit his finisher and pinned Aries, the former champion immediately stood up and began walking to the back, neglecting to sell the effects of the beating he just took. Along the way, Aries berated his opponent as well as Impact official Don Callis, much to the bewilderment of the crowd.
That title match served as Aries' exit from Impact. While his actions there didn't do him any favors, he was still able to continue working as a pro wrestler just not on any significant platforms. In the years following the incident with Morrison, Aries worked with promotions like NWA and MLW, as well as appearing in the ill-fated Control Your Narrative.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, Aries once again drew controversy by publicly criticizing mask mandates. He would later double down by selling autographed tinfoil hats at signings the following year.
Around that same time, the wrestler was named in the Speaking Out movement as somebody who had allegedly acted inappropriately towards women. The accusations came on social media and primarily focused on unwanted physical contact and comments. Aries addressed the allegations by acknowledging that he hadn't lived "a flawless life" but he outright denied being an abuser, and he has continued to maintain his innocence while decrying "cancel culture."
Over the last few years, Aries has continued wrestling, though at a slower pace than in his earlier years. He now typically performs for small and mid-sized independent promotions in the United States and abroad. In April 2025, Aries made his return to commentary by joining the table at MLW Battle Riot VII, and he continued to call matches for the company following the event.
