David Otunga is finally setting the record straight on why he never jumped to AEW after his WWE releaseand now, in 2026, hes leaving the door open.
Speaking on his YouTube channel on January 16, 2026, the former WWE star opened up about the emotional and personal reasons behind his loyalty to WWE, even after he was released as part of the April 15, 2020 budget cuts.
Otunga shared that between 2017 and 2019, he was in the middle of a public custody battle with his sons mother, Jefferson. During that time, damaging and untrue stories surfaced in the mediayet WWE never abandoned him. Otunga said he wanted to clear his name legally but couldnt take action because of defamation protections.
He noted how precarious things were back then, especially being a Black man during the height of the Me Too movement. But WWE didnt take that route. Otunga credits Vince McMahon personally for standing by him when others might not have.
That loyalty stayed with himso much so that even when opportunities arose, Otunga held back from considering AEW out of respect for those who had supported him. He made it clear: thats the reason he didnt sign with AEW in the past.
But times changeand David Otunga closed the video by teasing the possibility that a run in AEW could now be on the table.
David Otunga kept quiet for years about why he stayed loyal to WWE, even after being cutbut now hes making it known. With respect for Vince McMahon and Michael Cole shaping his choices in the past, Otunga made it clear that hes open to new possibilities. AEW may not have been the right move then, but 2026 is a new game.
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