Cash Wheeler Reveals Passport Mix-Up Kept Him Out of AEW Grand Slam Mexico: ‘Got Held Hostage for 18 Hours or So’

Cash Wheeler has shed light on why he was absent from AEW’s Grand Slam Mexico event earlier this year — and the explanation is equal parts frustrating and wild.

The FTR member says a passport problem was the culprit. “I had the wrong passport and got held hostage for 18 hours or so,” Wheeler explained, describing what turned into an extended travel nightmare that ultimately prevented him from making it to the show.

AEW held Grand Slam Mexico in June 2025 at Arena México, one of the most storied venues in professional wrestling history. With Wheeler stuck dealing with border and documentation issues, his tag team partner Dax Harwood competed without him — appearing in a 14-man tag match that served as the event’s opening bout. It was a significant absence for one of the most decorated tag teams in the industry, with FTR’s reputation built almost entirely on performing together as a unit.

The circumstances Wheeler described — being detained for the better part of a day due to a passport snafu — paint a picture of a situation that spiraled well beyond a simple travel delay. International travel with the wrong documentation can trigger lengthy holds at ports of entry, and apparently that’s exactly what happened here.

With Grand Slam Mexico now in the rearview mirror, Wheeler’s account at least closes the book on speculation surrounding his absence. FTR remains one of AEW’s most prominent tag teams, and both men are presumably back on the same page heading into whatever comes next.