After nearly six months away from AEW television, Stokely Hathaway made his return during the April 24 episode of AEW Dynamite. He re-emerged in a new role, aligning himself with Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler as the manager for FTR’s latest heel turn.
While Hathaway has been off the road for some time, sources indicate that his return isn’t the result of a brand-new creative direction.
In fact, this storyline has reportedly been in development for quite a while.
The concept of Hathaway managing FTR was floated as far back as last year, with one of his final appearances before stepping away showing him subtly scouting tag teams—FTR included—in the background of a vignette.
At the time, plans shifted when The Outrunners gained momentum, which led to creative being redirected to feature them alongside FTR. However, the original idea of pairing Hathaway with Harwood and Wheeler never fully left the table and has now finally come to fruition.
(H/T: Fightful Select)
