Brody King did not appear on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
Dave Meltzer mentioned in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that King’s absence was due to concerns about anti-ICE chants that had dominated his Eliminator Match against MJF the previous week. Meltzer stated that the decision to keep King off the show came directly from Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
However, WBD issued a statement denying any involvement in that decision. Additionally, PWInsider.com reported that King was never scheduled to appear on this week’s Dynamite, as he and several other AEW wrestlers were traveling to Grand Slam: Australia on Wednesday.
According to Fightful Select, some wrestlers left for Australia earlier in the week, while others departed the country after Dynamite.
This could explain why Tony Khan and other senior executives were unaware of the WBD/King rumors.
King challenged MJF for the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam: Australia but fell short in his attempt. As with their previous match on Dynamite, the crowd erupted with “F**K ICE” chants.
Fightful Select noted that many sources within the company anticipated these chants, even though the event was held in Australia.
