As noted, AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter tonight to announce that he has signed top international tag team Aussie Open – Kyle Fletcher and the injured Mark Davis. The announcement came after Fletcher’s Dynamite loss to AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy.
In an update, a new report from Fightful Select issued before Khan’s announcement noted that WWE was interested in signing Aussie Open, who had been working as free agents until tonight.
Due to an injury to Davis, which is said to be a meniscus injury, Fletcher appeared at NJPW Resurgence this past weekend to relinquish the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Titles and the NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Titles. Despite the dual title reigns, the NJPW regulars were working without contracts.
WWE had interest in signing Aussie Open, so much that the tag team retained a representative for negotiations with WWE. However, word as of Resurgence was that AEW was very confident that Fletcher and Davis would sign with them.
There were other members of the AEW tag team division who were proponents of Aussie Open joining the company. They also have supporters within WWE.
AEW reportedly had creative plans already mapped out for Aussie Open before this week. Furthermore, word is that AEW President Tony Khan paid for Davis’ recent surgery, even before he had the tag team signed to a contract.
Davis has not wrestled since the NJPW Wrestling Dontaku event on May 3. Fletcher worked the May 6 ROH TV tapings with a win over Tony Deppen, while Fletcher also worked the May 7 ROH TV tapings with a win over AR Fox. Fletcher then defeated Action Andretti at the May 10 Rampage tapings, and was scheduled to work the May 17 Dynamite, but the bout had to be re-scheduled until this week, which ended up being the loss to Cassidy.
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