Tony Khan: Kyle Fletcher Was Always The Plan For AEW All Out Title Match, Not Wardlow

TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher is set to challenge "Hangman" Adam Page for the AEW World Championship at AEW All Out, but reports last week indicated that a recently-returned, but now injured, Wardlow was meant to be Page's challenger before he suffered a reported torn pectoral muscle. Fightful Select clarified their initial report shortly after to reflect that Fletcher was always the man meant to challenge Page, and it was something AEW President Tony Khan adamantly clarified himself during a media call ahead of All Out.

"The plan has been and has always been the TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher to step up and challenge the AEW World Champion 'Hangman' Page at AEW All Out," Khan said. "I thought it was ludicrous when I saw somebody report that at AEW All Out there was ever any talk of Wardlow wrestling for the world title. And there had been big plans for Wardlow, that is true. Wardlow was going to be very involved in the television in the run-up to All Out but he was never going to be the challenger."

Khan expressed frustration that there was someone claiming to know what's going on behind-the-scenes providing false information. He said that person should "get out of the wrestling business" and stay there. He did confirm Wardlow's injury, though not the nature of what the star is suffering from. 

"Kyle Fletcher was always the hand-picked man to be in his position here," Khan reiterated. "Wardlow was a hand-picked man to be in a key, prominent position when he got involved, as you saw after Okada versus Swerve. He's clearly a top guy in a top scene... Wardlow would absolutely, if he was healthy, have been involved in this run-up to All Out and he would have been in a top prominent spot coming out of All Out."

Wardlow was seen alongside Don Callis on a few episodes of television following his return at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, but hasn't been seen much since reports of his injury. Reports indicated he was injured when he laid out Swerve Strickland's manager, Prince Nana, following Kazuchika Okada's victory at the pay-per-view. Wardlow had been out of action for over a year before his Forbidden Door return. Khan said that the star is someone he "really, really" respects and said it was a great choice for him to aligned himself with the Don Callis Family.

"It makes sense for Wardlow to be with them and I was really excited about his return," he said. "I was so devastated when Wardlow was injured, and that is true. Wardlow is out injured and that part of the report was true. But then, the way people source things and the way people report things I think is terrible... I also think it's crazy and terrible that Wardlow got hurt, most of all. I feel terrible for him that he is out injured." 

Khan said on the call he was excited to see Wardlow in the "American Gladiator" series that was filmed prior to his injury. The AEW President stated that he expects the timing to work out, that when the show is airing, Wardlow will return to AEW.