Brody King was missing from the February 11 episode of AEW Dynamite amid the whole “F**k ICE” chant situation, and fans and insiders started speculating all sorts of political reasons. But a new report reveals a completely different reason for the absence of the wrestler.
King and AEW World Champion MJF didn’t appear during the live show. This caught fans’ attention since they are set to face each other for the AEW World Championship. The timing raised eyebrows, especially after their recent segment in Las Vegas, where the crowd broke into anti-ICE chants.
Earlier, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that King did not appear on TV because Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t want a repeat of those chants. The report claimed that the network feared possible political backlash. Moreover, network executives made the decision instead of Tony Khan. It also mentioned WBD’s larger business dealings, including its sale process involving Netflix.
But now, PWInsider.com reported that King was never scheduled to be on the February 11 episode of AEW Dynamite at all. According to their sources, King and several other AEW wrestlers left Los Angeles that night to travel to Australia for AEW Grand Slam: Australia. Because of the travel schedule, it was simply not possible for him to appear live on the show.
Warner Bros. Discovery Denied Having Anything To Do With King’s Absence
PWInsider also contacted Warner Bros. Discovery directly. The company denied any involvement in King’s schedule.
“Warner Bros. Discovery did not have any involvement in Brody King’s upcoming AEW schedule. Any speculation to the contrary is categorically false. Brody is scheduled to appear during the next AEW event, which will air this Saturday on TNT and HBO Max,” the statement read.
While King has done extensive charity work for families in need in Minnesota and advocacy in the past, that response seems to shut down the idea that the network stepped in for political reasons.
However, even though King and MJF weren’t there live, their AEW World Championship match was still promoted with a video to keep their rivalry in focus ahead of AEW Grand Slam: Australia.
Read More: AEW Fan Kicked Out of Dynamite for Abolish ICE Shirt
