Buddy Matthews appears to finally be cleared to wrestle.
The AEW star posted a cryptic message on Instagram on Tuesday that all but confirms his long injury layoff is over.
“The Devil signed the clearance. Hell stamped its approval. No more barriers. Only timing.”
Matthews has been out since February 2025, when he hurt his ankle during his entrance before facing Kazuchika Okada at AEW Grand Slam Australia. He gutted out the match anyway and didn’t expect a lengthy absence, but the recovery got complicated and he wound up needing ankle surgery.
Signs of progress have been building. Rhea Ripley, Matthews’ wife, said a few months back that he had started training in the ring again. He also turned up unannounced for Australian indie promotion World Series Wrestling in May despite not being cleared, and he’s booked for a five-show WSW tour in late October and early November.