Why AEW Should Build Its Future Around Kyle Fletcher

Kyle Fletcher is the future of AEW.

Watching the former TNT Champion trade verbal blows with Will Ospreay during their promo battle this past Wednesday only reinforced how bright Fletcher’s path forward looks in professional wrestling. I first noticed it a few years ago, when he split from Mark Davis and set out on his own as a singles competitor. Now, at 27, he possesses every tool required to become a major star. The question is no longer whether AEW will give him the spotlight, but when.

I don’t expect it to happen this Saturday at Full Gear, where he challenges Ospreay in what should be an outstanding contest. The promotion’s clear trajectory runs through Adam Copeland and Will Ospreay, and I suspect MJF will return before long in search of another championship match. In short, the immediate title picture is already mapped out, and a Fletcher victory wouldn’t fit the current storyline. When he does capture the gold, though, it should be for a substantial reign befitting a young top champion rather than a brief stopover.

AEW needs to think ahead when it comes to Fletcher. The company’s first wave of main event names, including MJF, Hangman Page, and Will Ospreay, are firmly established at the top, creating a need for fresh, younger talent to reinvigorate the scene. Fletcher is an obvious candidate for that role. He has operated at a world-class level for years, and his recent pairing with Kevin Knight against The Young Bucks at WrestleDream last month stands out as a prime example.

Elevating Fletcher would also sharpen AEW’s contrast with WWE, positioning a young world champion against a roster of older, more grizzled stars. WWE is attempting to shake things up by safeguarding emerging talent such as Oba Femi and Bron Breakker, yet it has yet to fully commit to them. A lingering philosophy persists that stars must first “earn” their spot at the top before truly becoming main-event players, a process that can stretch on for years. Meanwhile, the company’s champions skew older: Sami Zayn is 42, Roman Reigns is 41, and most recent titleholders hover around the same age or above. AEW’s champions tend to be younger, and betting on someone like Fletcher would highlight that identity.

At minimum, AEW should begin mapping out a path for Fletcher to become the promotion’s top star within the next year. He already has the ability; he simply needs that additional push. While I’m not calling on AEW to scrap its current plans and hand him the title overnight, there clearly needs to be a long-term strategy in place. Opportunities to strike while the iron is hot are limited, and Fletcher is red-hot right now.

Source link