After an absence of nearly six months, Stokely Hathaway returned to AEW television. He reappeared on the April 24th episode of Dynamite, aligning himself with Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, FTR, taking on the role of their manager.
While Hathaway had been off the road for a while, Fightful Select sources indicate that this pairing wasn’t a sudden creative decision. The idea of Hathaway managing FTR was reportedly pitched and close to realization as far back as last year. Before his hiatus, Hathaway was even seen scouting various tag teams, with subtle hints including him observing an FTR match in the background of one of his vignettes.
However, plans reportedly shifted when The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) gained unexpected momentum with the audience. This led to a temporary change in direction, with FTR being involved in a storyline with The Outrunners instead.
Ultimately, the original plan of aligning Hathaway with FTR has now come to fruition. Interestingly, AEW’s official talent roster has changed, with Hathaway now listed simply as ‘Stokely,’ dropping his last name.
Stokely Hathaway with a slight name change pic.twitter.com/Dv8qnit9g3
— Andrew Ravens l WrestlingNews.co (@Andrew_Ravens) April 28, 2025
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