Wheeler Yuta Reveals He Learned of Family Member's Passing Just Before AEW All Out

Wheeler Yuta has been going through a challenging time recently.

At AEW All Out in Chicago, Illinois, he witnessed the unraveling of his relationships within the Blackpool Combat Club. Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli, alongside PAC and Marina Shafir, violently attacked Bryan Danielson inside NOW Arena on September 7, forcing Yuta to watch the brutal scene unfold.

“I’m just trying to scramble to figure out why… why they did what they did, why they didn’t tell me, why they did that to Bryan,” Yuta said, reflecting on the incident. “Then nothing, because all I can really think about is those moments where they had that bag over Bryan’s head, where they were trying to end him. They were trying to make me watch for some reason. Jon keeps talking about this higher purpose and I just don’t understand it. All I understand is how afraid, how terrified, how concerned, how helpless I was when all that happened.”

To make matters worse, Yuta shared that he faced a personal tragedy earlier that same weekend.

During an exclusive interview following his victory over Anthony Henry at AEW Collision on Saturday, September 14, in Dayton, OH, Yuta revealed that he had just learned of his aunt’s passing in Japan, during All Out weekend.

“It was a really rough day for me Saturday,” Yuta said. “Before the show, I found out that my aunt in Japan had passed away. She passed away from complications due to COVID-19, and I just kind of know that in her last moments she was struggling to find breath. That’s really all I could think about when I watched that happen to Bryan. Kumiko, I love you. Rest in peace. But Bryan, Bryan’s going to be okay. Bryan’s going to be all right. He’s going to be like no one we’ve ever seen before. I don’t really know where that leaves me. Yeah, just a lot to think about. I’m sorry if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to take some time by myself, if that’s all right.”

Best wishes to Wheeler Yuta.

EXCLUSIVE: What's going through @WheelerYuta's head regarding the BCC? #AEWCollision pic.twitter.com/BEn2yZqHwL

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 15, 2024