EXCLUSIVE: Aussie wrestling star Kyle Fletcher lifts the lid on 'dangerous' moment that 'didn't go to plan'

Pro wrestling comes with enormous levels of risk any time the bell rings and for Aussie superstar Kyle Fletcher, he almost learned that the hard way.

The talented Sydney product, who has become one of the fastest-rising stars not only in AEW but the entire industry, is enjoying some rare downtime after a breakout year.

Fletcher has quickly gone from a young gun with unbridled potential to one of the most reliable and important players in pro wrestling's second-biggest organisation.

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The 27-year-old picked up major awards from the likes of ESPN and Sports Illustrated, cementing him as a household name in the United States and abroad.

His last match in 2025 came against multi-time world champion Jon Moxley, who for all intents and purposes has been the company's biggest star since its 2019 inception.

Fletcher, at the top of his game, produced arguably the best performance of his young career in a hard-hitting classic against Moxley that lasted over 22 minutes.

But at one stage of the bout, Fletcher was the subject of a truly horrific landing from a dangerous top-rope suplex that could have easily ended in serious injury.

The immediate reaction online was concern for Fletcher's wellbeing, but it also led to some criticism and cautionary tales about the dangers such risky moves can present.

British wrestling legend William Regal took to social media in the days after Fletcher's bump to warn modern-day athletes and cited his own history of neck injuries during his decades-long career, without outwardly naming or referring to the Australian.

"Stop it now if you want a decent quality of life after wrestling," he said via X.

"That part of your life will be over before you know it and wrestling done right is hard enough but broken necks or death are not something you should think is tough or cool."

In an exclusive interview with Wide World of Sports ahead of AEW's return to Australia next month, Fletcher conceded the dangerous move "didn't go to plan" but assured fans and experts alike that he would 'live and learn' from the incident.

"Of course, I have to take it [criticism] on board," he said.

"Obviously it didn't go to plan, I understand all the points that everyone is making - it was very dangerous.

"In the moment, it's hard for me because I'm not watching it happen, I'm the one actually experiencing it. I didn't see how nasty the landing was, I was just going off how I felt and to me, it was just one of those ones where I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary.

"It was a bit higher on the neck than I was intending, but it didn't hurt and I felt fine.

"The referee came over and usually they will check on you once and you're like 'yeah no worries, it's all good' but then he came over a second time and asked again, which makes me think that there was maybe someone in his ear saying 'make sure he's OK'.

"I didn't get to see the replay that everyone else saw and it wasn't until later that I looked back and thought that was a little bit silly, wasn't it? But you live and you learn.

"Coming out of it, maybe I'm a bit battered and bruised, but it's nothing more than I'm used to dealing with as a pro wrestler.

"I've had a couple of weeks, a little bit of time off and time to reflect and set some resolutions ... but rest assured, I will be back very soon."

After surviving what could have been a catastrophic injury just as his career was starting to take off, Fletcher is now looking to keep his momentum rolling after a year that included a TNT Championship win - the same title held by Cody Rhodes before his move back to WWE in 2022 - as well as multiple high-profile, main event matches.

Fletcher will get a golden opportunity to build on his breakout year when he touches down in his hometown of Sydney on February 14 for AEW's Grand Slam event, which marks just the second time the promotion has toured Down Under.

"I think back to the first show we did in Australia last year and without a doubt, that was one of the best days of my entire life," he said.

"When you start out in Australia it's very small scale, so for an event like that to happen felt very far-fetched. I couldn't even fathom that it could happen - not only being on the card but in the ring with world-class competitors like Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita was surreal and a dream come true.

"I had all my family, they spelled out [his nickname] 'Protostar' on their shirts in the crowd and I had so many people who I grew up with there in the building. It was really special and I have no doubt that this year will be the exact same thing and feeling.

"For most people, the new year always brings on reflection. You're looking forward, but to even think about resolutions you have to think about this past year and what has actually gone down and what you want to change.

"I have looked back, done a lot of reflection and just to think about everything I've accomplished and how far I've come as a wrestler … it's kind of hard to put into words.

"It's been huge for everything, my whole life has changed in this past year and all I'm thinking is how I can make this year even better."

Tickets for AEW Grand Slam at Qudos Bank Arena are still available via Ticketek.