During his rivalry with Will Ospreay, Kyle Fletcher, once part of the Australian Open alongside Ospreay, sought to establish his own identity separate from Ospreay, who was often seen as the junior partner. To symbolize this break, Fletcher shaved his head on screen.
In an interview with Insight, Fletcher explained he was simply tired of his blonde hair and wanted a change. He suggested the head shave to Tony Khan as a metaphor for shedding the image tied to Ospreay. Fletcher noted that having never seen his full head of hair as an adult, the experience was new for him.
Though uncertain about how he would look, Fletcher was clear that he no longer wanted to be compared to Ospreay. Initially, he took the comparisons as flattering but soon felt they happened too frequently. Despite shaving his head, the comparisons didn’t stop; they just shifted to another wrestler, Randy Orton. Fletcher expressed his desire to forge his own path rather than be seen as a second version of someone else.
Since changing his look, Fletcher has held the AEW TNT Championship and even challenged Hangman Page for the AEW World Title earlier this year.
Fan Take: This story highlights the importance of individuality in AEW, showing how wrestlers strive to define their own legacies beyond comparisons. For fans, Fletcher’s journey is a testament to personal reinvention and underscores the depth of talent in AEW’s roster, promising exciting developments in the sport.
