Stokely Hathaway is a changed man.
In recent weeks, The Firm (Stokely Hathaway, Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, and Isiah Kassidy) has been feuding with HOOK. As part of this rivalry, Hathaway wound up in a No Disqualification Match against the FTW Champion on the March 22 episode of AEW Dynamite. There, Hathaway tried to use a receipt from Wing Stop as a doctor's note, but his efforts to get out of the bout failed, and "The Cold-Hearted Handsome Devil" dominated him. Hathaway has not been seen since, and Matt Hardy noted that The Firm's leader would be out for a few weeks.
In a tweet, Hathaway issued a statement following his loss to HOOK. He thanked everyone for their support and noted that he is making progress on the road to recovery. Hathaway described how getting beat up on national television changes a man, but he has gained something from the experience; Stokely is focusng on confidence, and he's not afraid of anything anymore. Hathaway then detailed how he can now go to Waffle House and look the line cook in the eye to let him know that he messed up his eggs.
The full statement is below.
Thank you to all my fans for the support the past two weeks. This morning, I went to the gym for the first time since my match and was able to bench 325. That means I am nearly at 42.3% and getting stronger every day. Look at God.
If you’ve had your ass beat on national television, you know that it changes you. In your darkest times, you must find the light. I asked myself - what can I learn from this? How do I become a better man? For me, it was focusing on confidence. If I can go face-to-face with HOOK, I can do anything without fear.
It’s a freeing experience to finally be able to go to Waffle House, look the line cook in his eyes, and tell him he fucked up my eggs without stuttering. What’s he gonna do? Beat my ass? Of course he will. It’s already happened, pal. No power for you. Live without fear.
Sharing this message to inspire someone today.
We could all learn a thing or two from Stokely Hathaway.
The Firm's feud with HOOK will continue on the April 5 episode of AEW Dynamite, where the FTW Champion will face Ethan Page.
Fightful will have live coverage of AEW Dynamite as it airs at 8 p.m. ET on April 5.
