Kyle Fletcher is ready to conquer the world at AEW ‘All In’

All Kyle Fletcher ever wanted to be was a professional wrestler, and now he’s on top of his game. The reigning All Elite Wrestling (AEW) International Champion will compete at All In, the company’s biggest show of the year, in front of 40,000-plus fans at a sold-out Wembley Arena in London, in what will be the biggest match of his career. Fletcher will need to defend his belt against not one but two opponents — as he steps into the ring against Konosuke Takeshita and the legendary Kazuchika Okada in a match that’s been months in the making. As Fletcher prepares for this mammoth contest I sat down with the champ to discuss All In, his life in wrestling, and the rift between Fletcher and Will Ospreay. There’s an inescapable duality when it comes to how Fletcher approaches professional wrestling. There’s the innate confidence that all greats have, but also an unexpected humility that takes you aback, especially when compared to how he presents himself on television. Underneath the bravado and confidence of “The Protostar” is a wrestler who is both looking forward and appreciating what he has in the moment. “I’m just absolutely grateful for everything that I have in my life,” Fletcher says. “My dream has been to be a professional wrestler since I was a child. AEW has given me the opportunity to live that dream, and helped me blossom into the professional wrestler that I am. My life is incredible.” To call Fletcher’s rise “meteoric” would be accurate, but also a little unfair. It suggests a career born of happenstance, rather than directly linked to the hard work and sacrifice it took to become a wrestler of his caliber. Beginning his career at 15-years-old in Australia, Fletcher moved to England as a young adult and honed his craft on the independent scene in the United Kingdom, working for WhatCulture Pro-Wrestling and Attack! Pro Wrestling, among others. It’s for this reason that he has immense love for the U.K., despite the frosty sports rivalry with Australia. “You know what? I have a fondness for the U.K. I spent four or five years living there in total, so I have a bit of a different relationship with the U.K. It almost feels like this is a home game, because it was home to me for so long.” That level of comfort will serve Fletcher well on Sunday at All In, because his opponents have him feeling rather uneasy. Takeshita and Fletcher had a frosty relationship when the two were stablemates in The Don Callis Family, which turned into pure rage when Fletcher attacked Takeshita at Double or Nothing in May, kicking him out of the group. The two have been rivals since then, and all Takeshita wants is to get his belt back. Okada on the other hand represents a wild card in all this. On paper he’s in Fletcher’s corner, but there’s a palpable mistrust between the two current members of Don Callis’ group. “If Don’s plan comes to fruition, myself and Okada will be on the same page, and we will be working towards KO-ing Takeshita between us, and then me retaining the international title,” Fletcher says — but when poked about whether or not he thinks Okada will follow the playbook, that’s when the fractures appear. “I think it is a very combustible situation. Red warning signs are going off in every single direction, but it just comes back to the fact that I have to trust Don Callis, and Don has done so much for me. He has helped me grow so much in my career, and if this is what he thinks is best for the family, I am willing to trust him because he’s proven his loyalty to me time and time again.” “Loyalty” and “Don Callis” aren’t typically phrases you hear together. As a manager and mentor Callis has developed a reputation for taking in talent, but just as quickly casting them aside — either pressuring them to leave, or kicking them out directly. In recent years we’ve seen this happen to the likes of Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Andrade El Idolo, and Konosuke Takeshita — one of Fletcher’s opponents on Sunday. Those past relationships all molded Fletcher as a wrestler, but none more than that of Will Ospreay. Once close friends and confidants, a rift formed between the two stars because of their diverging feelings around Callis. After Ospreay decided to leave the group it was Fletcher who attacked him to make an example out of him, and that relationship has never really been repaired. While Fletcher is focused on his own match at All In, he’ll also be paying close attention to the main event between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship, because that’s his future goal. “I’m here to be the World Champion. I’m here to become the best wrestler of all time. I’m here to make AEW into the best wrestling company of all time,” Fletcher says emphatically. I ask him whether or not he feels like he’s on a collision course with Ospreay down the line. “Let’s see if he can get a job going against Kenny Omega first. Kenny looks like he’s on top of his game right now. He’s absolutely looking in top form, so I think it’ll be a tough match for him.” It’s at this point that the conversation takes a turn. One of my favorite questions to ask professional wrestlers is about their personal Mt. Rushmore. Not simply who they think are the greatest wrestlers of all time, but rather the people who have meant the most to them professionally. I mention to Fletcher that I spoke with Will Ospreay ahead of Double or Nothing back in May, and that Ospreay had put Fletcher on his personal Mr. Rushmore, calling him “one of the most talented wrestlers on the planet.” “Wow… I, I didn’t know he said those things,” Fletcher responded pensively. “It’s been a long time. We’ve been through a lot since the last time we interacted properly. Maybe he, I’m not sure, maybe his mind has opened up a little bit. Maybe he sees my perspective a little bit more. If a conversation can be had, maybe that’s something to think about.” As for Fletcher’s Mt. Rushmore, he rattles off his first two with ease: Jeff Hardy, who made him fall in love with professional wrestling, and Japanese legend Jushin Thunder Liger. The next two are trickier, but after thinking for some time he names PAC, and Kenny Omega to round out the list. There’s no question that wrestling fans have earmarked Kyle Fletcher for future greatness. The 27-year-old hasn’t yet entered his wrestling prime, but fans already see that he has the potential to be a face of AEW in the future — a guy who can carry a company. Sunday at All In is another chance to add to his resume, and from there the world title is in his sights. This is only the beginning for Fletcher, so get on the wagon now. All Elite Wrestling’s All In airs live on Sunday, August 30th, from Wembley Stadium in London, beginning at 11 a.m. EST. It will be available on YouTube, Amazon, and HBO Max.

Read it at SB Nation ↗

← Front page