AEW’s landscape changed in one night at Forbidden Door. In a shocking end to the Lights Out Steel Cage match, Will Ospreay was written off after the main event following a brutal assault by the Death Riders. Ospreay is now being forced to step away for neck surgery that threatens to halt his meteoric rise.
Earlier in the show, Swerve Strickland—a cornerstone of AEW’s main event scene—fell to Kazuchika Okada in the AEW Unified Championship match. The bout ended with Okada mercilessly targeting Swerve’s knee, leaving him injured and written out of action.
With two of AEW’s most dynamic stars suddenly sidelined, the company finds itself at a crossroads: who will rise to fill the void and seize the spotlight? AEW’s roster is deep, but with Ospreay and Strickland out, certain names now have the chance—and the responsibility—to elevate themselves into the spotlight.
Who Can Step Up in AEW Right Now?
Kyle Fletcher
Fletcher is someone I’m genuinely excited about. 2025 has been a breakout year, capped off by his AEW TNT Championship win over Dustin Rhodes in a brutal street fight on Collision (July 31). Despite holding the title for less than a month, Fletcher has already defended it successfully against Tomohiro Ishii and Hiromu Takahashi, proving he can deliver in high-profile matches.
At just 26 years old, Fletcher has the look, charisma, and in-ring ability to be one of AEW’s top stars if booked correctly. The Don Callis Family is stacked with talent ready to ascend, and Fletcher may be the brightest of the bunch. With Don Callis generating some of the best heat in wrestling every week, the faction is guaranteed prime TV time in the coming months. That spotlight makes now the perfect opportunity to strap the rocket to Fletcher’s back and establish him as a future main-event player.
Daniel Garcia
I was genuinely surprised that Daniel Garcia didn’t have a bigger role during the Forbidden Door IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Nigel McGuinness and Zack Sabre Jr.. With Garcia announced as being in McGuinness’s corner, it felt like a golden opportunity for him to shake things up. When he came down with a towel draped around his neck, the tease was clear: maybe he’d throw in the towel and cost McGuinness the match, creating a seismic storyline shift. But when none of that happened, the moment felt wasted — AEW left an opening to make Garcia feel important.
That’s been the story of Garcia’s career so far: flashes of momentum, but nothing sustained. It’s frustrating, because the talent is undeniable. Garcia has proven time and again that he can hang with the very best, whether in his 134-day TNT Championship run or during his short-lived involvement with MJF. Even in defeat, Garcia showed he belonged in the mix with AEW’s top names.
At just 26 years old, Garcia still has time on his side. What he needs now is consistency — and the absence of Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay creates the perfect chance for AEW to finally push their chips in on him. Garcia doesn’t need to be handed the world title tomorrow, but giving him a meaningful program where he can thrive would not only elevate his stock, it would give fans the payoff they’ve been waiting for. If there was ever a moment to shine the spotlight on Garcia, it’s now.
Plus, if we have more Garcia, we get more Daddy Magic. Who doesn’t want that?
Wardlow
After months away from the spotlight, Wardlow made his return at Forbidden Door by aligning with the Don Callis Family, instantly throwing himself back into a major storyline. It’s a fresh start for a powerhouse who once looked destined to be AEW’s breakout homegrown star, only to stall after his TNT Championship reigns lost steam. Now, with Callis in his corner and a stable full of killers backing him, Wardlow has a clear path back to relevance.
Wardlow has always had the tools — size, presence, and a brutal in-ring style that fans can buy into. What he’s lacked in the past is direction. By pairing him with one of wrestling’s most hated managers, AEW has given him both purpose and heat. If the company commits, Wardlow can be rebuilt into a believable monster heel capable of stepping into the void left by Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay.
AEW doesn’t need to rush him into a title match, but this is the time to let Wardlow dominate TV again. Squash wins, big angles, and the aura of being Don Callis’ personal enforcer can reestablish him as one of AEW’s most dangerous men. In a company suddenly short on healthy top stars, Wardlow has a second chance to finally fulfill the promise fans saw in him years ago.
Konosuke Takeshita
If there’s one thing AEW desperately needs right now, it’s a top-tier babyface. With Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland both sidelined, that void looms large. Konosuke Takeshita may not be positioned as a babyface today, but the seeds are already planted for a turn.
At Forbidden Door, Takeshita shared a tense confrontation with Wardlow. For now, they’re allies under the Don Callis Family umbrella, but that uneasy chemistry could be setting the stage for something much bigger down the line.
Takeshita received one of the loudest reactions of the night when he hit the arena — a stark contrast to the nuclear heat the Callis Family usually draws. That kind of organic response is rare and should be capitalized on. As the DCF grows more dominant, AEW will eventually need a true babyface to lead the charge against them. If he turns, Takeshita could be that guy.
The story practically writes itself: Takeshita breaking away from Wardlow, leading to a powerhouse showdown, before eventually setting his sights on Kazuchika Okada. Those matches would not only deliver in the ring, but also create the kind of long-term arc AEW thrives on. A turn isn’t guaranteed, and the path still needs time to unfold, but if AEW pulls the trigger, Takeshita could ignite one of the hottest storylines of late 2025.
Conclusion
AEW losing both Swerve Strickland and Will Ospreay at the same time is a massive setback, but it also creates opportunity. The company has a deep roster, and this moment could be the proving ground for who truly belongs in the top tier.
Names like Kyle Fletcher, Daniel Garcia, Wardlow, and Konosuke Takeshita all bring different strengths to the table, and each represents a different path forward for AEW. Whether it’s Fletcher’s breakout momentum, Garcia’s long-awaited push, Wardlow’s monster rebuild, or Takeshita’s potential babyface turn, AEW has no shortage of directions to explore.
What happens next could define the company’s future. Injuries may have forced AEW into this position, but the choices made in the coming months will determine who rises, who falls, and who seizes the spotlight left behind by two of wrestling’s brightest stars.
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