Buddy Matthews Shares Surgery Update After Ankle Injury Setback Derails Comeback Plans

Buddy Matthews just hit a major detour on his road to recovery — and now he’s gone under the knife.

On August 7, the AEW star posted a photo from his hospital bed with real-life partner and former WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley by his side. The image shows Matthews hooked up to oxygen and moments away from surgery to repair his injured ankle. In the update, Matthews kept it short and direct:

“Update: heading into surgery to repair my ankle.”

This marks a frustrating chapter in what’s already been a difficult recovery. Matthews originally injured his ankle before his match against Kazuchika Okada at AEW Grand Slam: Australia — and not during the match, but during his entrance.

Months later, he admitted during an Instagram Live that his ankle still wasn’t healing properly and that a chronic condition was a looming risk.

“The ankle is not recovering as well as I thought it would be. There’s no mobility to it—if I can’t have mobility, I can’t move properly. Once it hits three months without healing, it becomes chronic. So yeah, I have to deal with that. It sucks. But if I can’t do the things I want to do at 100%, then health has to come first. I thought I’d be back in the ring in April.”

Now with surgery officially confirmed, it remains unclear how long Matthews will be out — but the former House of Black member is clearly prioritizing his long-term health over rushing a return.

Do you think Buddy Matthews will return to AEW this year? Or will this surgery keep him out even longer? Share your thoughts in the comments.

How do you see Buddy Matthews fitting back into AEW once he returns from injury? Would you want to see House of Black reform or go in a new direction? Let us know in the comments.