Jay White is finally back in AEW, and he picked a big night to make his return.
AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2026 took place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, and White showed up during the AEW World Tag Team Championship match between Adam Copeland and Christian Cage against David Finlay and Clark Connors.
Copeland and Cage walked in as champions, but Finlay and Connors were trying to take the titles from them. That didn’t happen. Copeland and Cage retained, and Jay White’s return helped make sure The Dogs didn’t walk out with the gold.
White’s comeback was a big deal because he had been gone for a long time. He suffered a broken hand during a match against Kevin Knight on AEW Collision in 2025, and AEW later wrote him off television with a Death Riders attack.
That injury also changed a lot behind the scenes. White had been pulled from the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, and his absence ended up wiping out major plans for him.
Back in December, it was revealed that AEW originally had White lined up for a big heel turn. The plan was for him to join Jon Moxley’s Death Riders at AEW Dynasty and screw Swerve Strickland in the AEW World Title match. Once White got hurt, that idea was thrown out, and The Young Bucks ended up filling that role instead.
White’s injury situation got worse from there. His broken hand required surgery, and a shoulder issue also kept him out much longer than first expected. By the time Forbidden Door came around, fans had been waiting a long time to see Switchblade back on AEW television. That wait is finally over.
White didn’t just come back for a quick wave to the crowd. He returned during a title match involving Finlay and Connors, two names tied to Bullet Club history, and the Bang Bang Gang was clearly happy to have him back.
Now AEW has a lot of options with him. White was once set for a major Death Riders angle, but that plan was killed by injury. With him back in the mix, the big question is whether AEW picks that thread back up or sends him in a totally different direction.
What do you think AEW should do with Jay White now that he’s back? Should he go after the Death Riders, reunite with the Bang Bang Gang, or chase singles gold again? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
