AEW Dynamite was already buzzing with Grand Slam fallout and All In hype — but few expected one of the night’s most explosive moments to come from a decades-old rivalry reignited in real time.
During Wednesday’s live broadcast, 36-year-old Ricochet stunned fans and betrayed his longtime friend and tag team partner AR Fox in brutal fashion, walking out mid-match and leaving him to be pinned by Kevin Knight and Mike Bailey.
The moment wasn’t just a shocking swerve — it was a deeply personal callback to a story that’s been simmering for over a decade.
A Brotherhood Turned Battle
Ricochet and Fox share one of the most storied histories in modern pro wrestling. Since the early 2010s, the two have crossed paths across the globe — from their breakout matches in Dragon Gate USA and EVOLVE, to high-stakes showdowns in PWG, and eventually on the big stages of WWE and AEW. Each time, their chemistry lit up the ring.
But as with many wrestling rivalries, camaraderie eventually gave way to conflict.
The tension between the two resurfaced in October 2024 when Fox returned to AEW and took a clean loss to Ricochet, just ahead of Ricochet’s feud with Swerve Strickland. The following weeks saw Strickland defeat Fox, then Ricochet do the same on back-to-back Dynamite episodes. Fans noticed the pattern: Ricochet had become AEW’s golden boy, while Fox seemed to be left behind.
This week’s Dynamite brought the simmer to a boil.
The Betrayal
In a backstage segment leading up to the tag team match, Ricochet extended what appeared to be an olive branch. He asked Fox to join his crew, shook his hand, and even hyped up the audience before their entrance. Fox, ever the skeptic, hesitated — but ultimately agreed.
That hesitation proved to be prophetic.
During the match, Ricochet refused to tag in just as Fox was reaching for him. The betrayal caught Fox — and fans — completely off guard. Moments later, Kevin Knight hit his signature combo, pinned Fox clean, and Ricochet walked out without looking back.
The bell hadn’t even stopped ringing before “Ricochet” was trending on X (formerly Twitter). Some fans called it the most cold-blooded moment since The Shield breakup. Others demanded AEW book Ricochet vs. Fox for All In immediately.
One fan wrote: “We just witnessed the most disrespectful tag team betrayal in years. Ricochet turned his back on the guy who helped put him on the map.”
Another added: “Fox didn’t deserve that. But now I need the match. The build writes itself.”
What’s Next?
Neither AEW nor Tony Khan has formally announced a Ricochet vs. Fox match, but sources backstage suggest the two could face off at an upcoming Dynamite or possibly even at All In — now less than three weeks away.
For Ricochet, who recently defeated Volador Jr. at CMLL and NJPW’s FantasticaMania, this marks a full embrace of his heel turn. After years as a fan-favorite underdog, he now plays a flashier, cockier version of himself — and it’s drawing heat.
For Fox, it’s another heartbreaking chapter in a career that’s seen triumph, betrayal, and perseverance. Fans rallied behind him last year after his match with Swerve Strickland and now appear ready to do so again.
As AEW prepares for one of its biggest PPVs of the year, this feud — grounded in real-life history and raw emotion — could steal the spotlight.
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A Long Time Coming
In a 2018 interview, Fox once described Ricochet as “the guy I could go 30 minutes with anytime, anywhere.” That quote is now circulating again — but with a bitter edge.
AEW’s storytelling thrives when it taps into deep personal rivalries. And in Ricochet vs. Fox, it may have found one of its most authentic and compelling arcs to date.
If this week’s walkout was the first blow, then fans should brace themselves for what’s coming next.
Because in wrestling, the deepest scars make the fiercest enemies.
