Trent Beretta says there was a different plan for the Best Friends’ dissension.
The group started fracturing once Wheeler Yuta was compelled by the formation of the Blackpool Combat Club. Determined to earn the faction’s respect, Yuta focused on proving himself as a tough wrestler, and this goal somewhat came into conflict with his ties to the Best Friends. On AEW TV, Beretta took umbrage with Yuta’s mission, and he repeatedly berated the latter for it. This conflict ultimately culminated with Yuta officially joining the BCC, and he has been featured as a member of the stable ever since.
During an appearance on the Battleground Podcast, Beretta discussed Yuta’s defection to the Blackpool Combat Club and noted that his move to the group worked better than his entry into the Best Friends.
“It’s better for him,” said Beretta. “I feel like the way he got put into Best Friends was super weird and a hard situation for him to be in as a wrestler, like, ‘Who’s this new guy who’s suddenly best friends with these guys I knew?'”
Trent then described how the original plan for the storyline was to have his issue with Yuta lead to a match between the two, but it wound up going in another direction.
“So honestly the whole reason [I] was being upset at him was we were planning on just kinda doing our own angle where we would eventually have a match and he would like win my respect,” said Beretta. “I was like he needs something for people to grab onto, so that’s kinda why we did that. But then it ended up just working out a completely different way where I was just really mean to him for no reason, then he left.”
While the group has fallen on hard times, Beretta made it clear that the Best Friends are still together. For now, he and Rocky Romero have been appearing together as part of the build for the Winner Takes All Tag Team Championship Match at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.
“Best Friends is definitely still a thing,” said Beretta. “It’s just right now, me and Rocky are going for the ROH and the IWGP Tag Belts so just for now, it makes sense that me and Rocky would be seen together on TV building towards that match, towards that show. But me and Chuck are definitely not done. I think Statlander is still in our group, too, I think? We’re going strong guys. X OC is back, too. He’s healthy again.”
