Kyle Fletcher is challenging for the AEW World Championship against Hangman Page at the AEW All Out: Toronto pay-per-view next weekend on September 20, the same day as the WWE WrestlePalooza on ESPN debut special event in Indianapolis, Indiana.
During a recent appearance on The Masked Man Show with Kaz for an in-depth interview, where he spoke about Stevie Richards’ recent video about he and AEW, fans sticking up for him online over it, WWE counter-programming AEW, working with Don Callis and teasing kicking out a member of The Don Callis Family in the near future.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview where he touches on these topics with his thoughts.
On his reaction to Stevie Richards’ YouTube video about he and AEW: “I went and I watched the full thing, everything that he said. Look, I’m not gonna — I’m open to any and all critiques, that is fine. He has an opinion on who I am as a wrestler and that’s fine. It just doesn’t feel like it’s in good faith, if that makes sense. I think a lot of those guys, they kind of look for the buzz words and the things that are going to get clicks or whatever. He spoke a lot about the culture is it AEW, I don’t think he knows anything about the culture at AEW. He said there is nobody there for me to learn from, I think that’s absolutely fucking horseshit, you know what I mean? I’m learning from people every single day that I’m there, there’s so many great minds. There’s Bryan Danielson there almost every week. I’m open to criticism, I just don’t think it was in the best faith. No ill will. I’m open to critique at any and all times. I’m 26 years old, I’m still trying to learn this business, man. I have a lot more room to grow, for sure.”
On fans sticking up for him online: “I don’t know if I would say in the company. I feel like fans feel like that. It almost turns — I hate stuff like this because it almost turns into like a us vs. them type thing and everyone will steal that — it’s almost like they use that as evidence to fuel whatever their opinion already was, right? If you’re a WWE fan and you hate AEW, obviously you’re going to be like, ‘Yeah, Stevie Richards was right, Kyle Fletcher is ass.’ AEW fans are going to be like, ‘Get out, Kyle Fletcher is the best wrestler in the world, what are you talking about, you don’t know anything.’ That’s what it turns into at the end of the day. So, I just hate that aspect of it. Do I think I need to be protected? No man, I’m in pro wrestling. I’m going out there and you can have whatever opinion you want of me, that’s part of the job. I want you to react however you react. To the people that did protect me, thank you, but I’m okay. I’ve got thick skin, brother.”
On WWE counter-programming AEW: “I think there has to be a little bit of that, right? In my very competitive nature, to be like, ‘Alright, if this is what you want to do, I’m going to go out there and I’m gonna absolutely kill it. What are you gonna say about it?’ So yeah, there’s a little bit of that. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform at the highest level under these high pressure scenarios. Yeah, I think this is the biggest opportunity I’ve had to go out there and show out, so I just gotta go out there and do what I know I can do and stick to them, you know what I mean?”
On working with Don Callis: “My relationship with Don now is great. We talk all the time, we text all the time. He always helps out with promos or matches or whatever, he always has little tidbits to throw me.”
On The Don Callis Family all being in a large group chat: “The other guys in the family as well, we have a big group chat. We have to work together all the time. Honestly, like 50 numbers in there, don’t have any of them saved.”
On teasing kicking out a member of The Don Callis Family: “I think at this point, I’m gonna be the one kicking someone out. I don’t know who it is, but it feels like it might be coming pretty soon honestly.”
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
