It has been nearly a full year since AEW star Buddy Matthews suffered a serious ankle injury, and a new report has an update on his status.
According to Fightful Select, Matthews continues to recover from the injury, which has proven to be more severe than many within AEW initially believed. The company reportedly hoped Matthews would be able to return before the end of 2025, but that did not happen. Fightful also noted that AEW does not currently have a clear timetable for Matthews’ return, as there is uncertainty surrounding when he will be medically cleared to wrestle.
Matthews addressed his condition in an Instagram story toward the end of December, revealing that he is still dealing with nerve-related issues. He stated that numbness remains a problem, suggesting the injury has lingering effects beyond the initial damage.
The injury occurred during Matthews’ entrance ahead of his match against Kazuchika Okada at AEW Grand Slam Australia. Matthews rolled his ankle before the bout, but still went on to complete the match. Because he was able to finish the contest, AEW initially believed the injury was not serious. However, his condition did not improve as expected.
