Buddy Matthews’ return to the wrestling ring has hit another setback, even though he’s already been cleared to compete. The AEW star was supposed to wrestle for the first time since early 2025 during this week’s World Series Wrestling tour, but those plans have now been canceled just days before the shows begin.
World Series Wrestling announced that Matthews will no longer appear on its MEGAMANIA tour due to scheduling conflicts. The tour was supposed to include one show in New Zealand and four nights in Australia, giving Matthews his first matches since suffering an ankle injury. The promotion confirmed the change in a statement and made it clear that it hopes to bring Matthews back for another tour.
“We have just learnt, that due to scheduling conflicts, Buddy Matthews will no longer be appearing on the WSW MEGAMANIA Tour. We’re really disappointed that Buddy won’t be joining us this time around, but we completely understand that schedules can change. We hope to have Buddy Matthews back to World Series Wrestling on a future tour! Thank you for understanding and continued support.”
Matthews has been out of action since early 2025 after suffering an ankle injury. However, he announced two months ago that he had officially been medically cleared to return to the ring.
That makes his sudden removal from the tour even more frustrating for fans who have been waiting to see him wrestle again. World Series Wrestling hasn’t provided any additional details about the scheduling conflict, and there’s no word on when Matthews will actually return to action.
For now, Matthews remains cleared to wrestle, but his first match back will have to wait. With his planned appearances in Australia and New Zealand now off the table, it’s unclear whether his next match will happen in AEW or somewhere else.
What do you think is keeping Buddy Matthews from returning to the ring, and would you like to see him back on AEW television soon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
