The situation surrounding Brody King’s absence from the February 11 edition of AEW Dynamite has now been clarified, and it appears the explanation is far less dramatic than initially reported.
According to PWInsider, King was never scheduled to appear live on the Ontario, California broadcast. Instead, he and several other AEW talents departed from LAX that same evening en route to Australia, as he is slated to challenge MJF for the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam Australia on Saturday. The travel logistics were the sole reason for his absence.
This update directly contradicts earlier claims made by Dave Meltzer, who had reported that Warner Bros. Discovery intervened due to concerns about politically charged chants—specifically “F*ck ICE”—which occurred during King’s match the previous week. That speculation suggested executives were wary of potential backlash tied to broader corporate matters.
Warner Bros. Discovery publicly denied any involvement in King being kept off television. Following that denial, Meltzer issued a correction, stating that AEW sources confirmed no directive came from WBD and that King’s limited presence—via video package only—was simply how the show was booked.
Ultimately, what initially appeared to be a politically sensitive network decision has been reframed as standard scheduling tied to international travel. King remains prominently positioned heading into Grand Slam Australia, where his AEW World Title challenge against MJF will take center stage.
