AEW Star Pulled from Owen Hart Tournament Before It Even Begins

One of AEW’s top stars has officially been yanked from the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament—and it’s not because of an injury sustained in a match.

To kick off the April 2, 2025 episode of AEW Dynamite, Excalibur revealed that Switchblade Jay White was attacked backstage by the Death Riders before the show even went live. The beatdown was serious enough that White has now been pulled from the 2025 Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.

“The Death Riders attacked Jay White prior to the show,” Excalibur announced. “As a result, he will not be competing in this year’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.”

That news came as a shock to fans who expected the Bullet Club Gold leader to be one of the standout favorites in this year’s tournament. White had just confirmed his participation alongside names like Will Ospreay and Hangman Adam Page, but now, AEW will have to move forward without one of its biggest players in the mix.

The Death Riders—led by Jon Moxley—clearly sent a message, but what that message means and who’s next on their hit list remains to be seen.

AEW is expected to announce the full tournament brackets later tonight. For now, the field just got a little more wide open with Switchblade officially out.

Do you think the Death Riders are trying to sabotage the entire tournament? And who should step up to replace Jay White in the bracket? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear what you think AEW should do next.