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Tony Khan Reveals Altered AEW Dynasty Plans, Chris Jericho Contract Length & More

AEW President Tony Khan held his media call for AEW Dynasty on Thursday afternoon, and touched on a number of topics.
Tony Khan
Tony Khan | All Elite Wrestling

AEW President Tony Khan has confirmed that Kyle Fletcher is going to be out of action for the next few months, and his recent injury caused a few creative pivots.

Khan held his media call Thursday afternoon ahead of this weekend's AEW Dynasty pay-per-view, and when asked about Fletcher's knee problems, he revealed that it was The Protostar who was originally going to team up with Kazuchika Okada against the Young Bucks on Sunday. Instead, Konosuke Takeshita will be the Rainmaker's partner.

Fletcher relinquished his TNT Championship ahead of Wednesday's episode of AEW Dynamite, which Khan said also altered plans for multiple future title defenses.

A Casino Gauntlet Match will be held at AEW Dynasty to determine a new TNT Champion, with former title holder Tommaso Ciampa earning the no. 1 spot in the match by defeating Máscara Dorada on Dynamite.

While there is no firm timeline for Fletcher to return to action, Khan said he was hopeful to have him back in time for AEW All In on Sunday, August 30 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Tony Khan confirms that Chris Jericho is back for the long haul

Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

After months of rumors that he was returning to WWE, Chris Jericho came back to AEW earlier this month. The nine-time World Champion addressed his decision on Wednesday's episode of Dynamite in Edmonton, saying that he's proud of what the company has become and that he wants to help continue building it up.

Jericho revealed during his promo that he did sign a new contract with All Elite Wrestling, and during his media call on Thursday, Tony Khan confirmed that it is a multi-year agreement.

WWE was reportedly interested in bringing Jericho back for a retirement tour in 2026, but clearly, he's not ready to walk away from the business in 2026. He'll make his return to the ring this Sunday at AEW Dynasty against Ricochet.

Tony Khan addresses TNA Wrestling pulling talent from independent shows

AEW Men's World Champion MJF went scorched earth on TNA Wrestling President Carlos Silva across multiple platforms Thursday.

Never one to mince words, Max called Silva a 'dumb motherf-----' while also accusing him of paying his wrestlers 's---' money.

His scathing remarks come on the heels of Silva pulling TNA talent from upcoming matches involving AEW stars, including Nic Nemeth, who was scheduled to face MJF at a Create A Pro show in May.

MJF will defend the AEW World Championship against Bandido tonight on Dynamite Maximum Carnage.
MJF | All Elite Wrestling

Silva was reportedly upset that AEW chose to go head-to-head with a recent episode of Thursday Night iMPACT! after Collision was preempted by the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. When asked for reaction during his media call, Tony Khan simply expressed his surprise over the decision.

"I love collaboration, and I was surprised to see those matches had been changed as a result of the other companies not wanting their wrestlers involved."

Elsewhere during the call, Tony Khan confirmed that there will be another AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event in 2026.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com