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Details on Former WWE Star's Return to 'AEW Dynamite' on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Fernando Quiles Jr. | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 8:02 PM ET

A former WWE on-air talent recently made his return to "AEW Dynamite," and details have emerged.

Many fans have seen a slew of stars disappear from AEW TV. The likes of former AEW Women's World Champion Britt Baker haven't been used by the company in several months. Many were pleasantly surprised to see popular manager Stokely Hathaway, formerly known as Malcolm Bivens during his time in WWE, appear on Wednesday's episode of "AEW Dynamite."

Fightful reports that the idea to have Hathaway align with FTR had been pitched last year. AEW was running a storyline that saw Hathaway scout tag teams to potentially manage. Hathaway then wasn't seen on AEW TV in almost six months, leading some to believe the story was dropped.

The report notes that AEW delayed Hathaway's alliance with FTR due to the rise of The Outrunners. The promotion decided to have The Outrunners work with FTR to give them a boost before ultimately bringing Hathaway back into the fold.

On Wednesday's episode of "AEW Dynamite," Hathaway assisted Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler in their attack of the Rock 'n' Roll Express. Harwood delivered a piledriver to the 68-year-old Ricky Morton.

FTR turned heel during the "AEW Dynasty 2025" pay-per-view event. After failing to capture the AEW World Trios Championship, Harwood attacked Cope and handed a chair to Wheeler. Initially, Wheeler appeared to be against the idea of turning on Cope, but it was a ruse. Wheeler ended up slamming a chair on Cope's head multiple times.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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