Below are a couple of top AEW news stories of the day.
• AEW star Tay Melo is set to make her in-ring return after a 17-month hiatus. Melo, who stepped away due to a back injury and maternity leave following the birth of her first child with Sammy Guevara, has been cleared to wrestle.
Her last match was in March 2023 at NEW Wrestlefest XXVII, with her most recent AEW appearance dating back to January 2023.
Melo will team up with Mina Shirakawa to face ROH Women’s Champion Athena and Thekla in a tag team match at STARDOM’s New Year Dream 2025 show.
January 3rd, Mama is back !!!
A dream ✅Starting 2025 in the best way possible. pic.twitter.com/L48hj70pBM
— TAY MELO (@taymelo) December 26, 2024
Her AEW TV return remains unconfirmed.
WATCH: Tay Melo’s Non-PG Moment In AEW:
• AEW producer Sonjay Dutt has declared 26-year-old rising star Kyle Fletcher the “future of pro wrestling”.
Fletcher, who began 2024 as the ROH TV Champion and later picked up a major victory over Will Ospreay at Full Gear, has earned widespread acclaim for his rapid progression.
Dutt praised Fletcher’s in-ring talent, maturity, and physical transformation, highlighting his standout wins over Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada.
With Fletcher advancing in the AEW Continental Classic, Dutt emphasized that the Australian wrestler is not only a cornerstone for All Elite Wrestling but also a key figure in the future of the wrestling industry.
Here’s what Sonjay said during an interview with Mike Jones:
“The first person that comes to my mind is Kyle Fletcher. I’ve been a big proponent and fan of Kyle’s progression over the last couple of years. From the day he first stepped foot in AEW as part of the United Empire, fast forward that to today and the type of man he is, not just in the ring, but outside the ring. He has matured immensely.
His star is rising day by day. Victories over Will Ospreay, Okada. You can’t put a price tag on that, the combination of all of that.
He’s gotten himself in incredible shape. He’s over six foot tall. He’s in his 20s. To me, he’s not just the future of AEW, but I think he’s the future of pro wrestling.”
