Recent Injury Caused Significant Change To AEW World Championship Picture [Report]

Update: Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select has posted a correction to his report about Kyle Fletcher not being the originally planned challenger to Hangman Adam Page at AEW All Out.

Ross Sapp's first report said that Wardlow was set to face Page later this month in Toronto with the AEW World Championship on the line, prior to the big man suffering a potentially torn pec at Forbidden Door.

Sources have now clarified that Fletcher was always the plan to wrestle Hangman at All Out and that Wardlow would have been a challenger at a separate PPV down the line. For the sake of transparency, you can read our original story unedited below.

Original story: Kyle Fletcher is looking to make a bit of history later this month at AEW All Out.

The Protostar is set to challenge Hangman Adam Page for the AEW World Championship, and if he successfully dethrones the much beloved cowboy, he'll officially become the first competitor in All Elite Wrestling to hold both the men's world title and the TNT Championship at the same time.

Barely a month into his first reign as TNT Champion, Fletcher has suddenly been thrust under the main event spotlight by feuding with Page. Much to his credit, the always impressive 26-year-old has looked and acted like every bit of a credible contender to become the company's next top guy.

Hangman Adam Page will give @KyleFletcherPro an AEW World Title opportunity at #AEWAllOut, but on 1 condition ...

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/2WpM3JC713
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 11, 2025

Some folks, however, may be curious to know why Fletcher was put in position to challenge Hangman when he's so early into his own title reign. It turns out Kyle's All Out plans were dramatically changed due to a recent injury, according to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select.

After missing over a year of action due to multiple injuries, and then outside television commitments, Wardlow was hurt immediately upon his return to action at Forbidden Door. The fear is that he suffered a pectoral tear and is set to miss significant time away from the ring.

"This affected immediate creative plans at the top of the card in All Elite Wrestling," Ross Sapp said in his report Thursday evening. "One of the top matches that was planned for AEW All Out was to be Wardlow challenging Hangman Page for the AEW Men’s World Heavyweight Championship. Kyle Fletcher was made as an audible after the fact."

Those within AEW were said to be very happy with how the direction for the AEW World Championship match turned out, despite Wardlow's unfortunate situation.

"We're told that a heavy point of conversation at MJF's wedding last weekend was how bad everyone felt for Wardlow getting sidelined again," Ross Sapp said.

The Takedown on SI wishes Wardlow the best and quickest recovery possible.