AEW Scrapped Plans for Jay White Heel Turn After Injury

AEW had big-time plans for Jay White earlier this year—and they were ready to pull the trigger on a heel turn that would’ve changed everything. But then came the injury.

During a Self Made Session on YouTube, Self Made Pro revealed that Jay White was originally booked to join Jon Moxley’s Death Riders faction at AEW Dynasty—a major change in direction that would’ve seen him screw over Swerve Strickland in the AEW World Title match.

“Jay White was supposed to join the Death Riders and screw Swerve in his match against Jon Moxley if he hadn’t gotten injured. I’m talking about that exact match where Swerve got screwed by the Bucks, if I remember correctly, and then Moxley won. That was the moment.”

This wasn’t a thrown-together idea either. White’s heel turn and alignment with the Death Riders had been in the works a couple of months before Dynasty, making it a major creative priority until injury took him off the board.

“Jay White was going to show up, turn heel, and align with the Death Riders. That was the plan. It wasn’t last-minute either—it had been planned for a month or two before that angle happened. Then White got hurt, and obviously everything changed.”

In the end, it was The Young Bucks who made the run-in and attacked Swerve, replacing White’s intended role in the finish. That twist wasn’t the original call—it was a backup plan when White went down.

Back in July, Fightful Select reported that White’s original hand injury from his March match with Kevin Knight was compounded by a shoulder issue—one serious enough that he considered surgery. As of now, there’s still no word on when—or if—he’ll be cleared for action.

So it’s clear that Jay White’s absence didn’t just stall one of AEW’s top stars—it completely reshaped how the company handled one of its top world title programs in 2025. Right now, White’s return remains one of the biggest question marks heading into 2026

What do you think of the original plan for Jay White to join the Death Riders? Should AEW circle back to it when he’s healthy—or has that window already closed? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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