Subhojeet Mukherjee on February 22, 2026
Nick Wayne is officially back in action — and he didn’t waste any time reminding everyone why he’s the ROH World Television Champion.
After being off AEW and ROH television since announcing an injury on the August 19, 2025 edition of Dynamite — a setback that forced him out of a scheduled Forbidden Door tag match — Wayne finally returned to in-ring action during the ROH TV tapings on February 21, 2026 at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. And he didn’t just return. He defended gold.
Wayne squared off against Lucas Riley in an ROH World Television Title match and successfully retained his championship after several months on the sidelines. The victory marks his first in-ring appearance since the injury that left fans questioning when he’d be cleared.
This comes after AEW President Tony Khan had previously indicated in December 2025 that Wayne was nearing a return after recovery timelines changed. At the time, there had even been internal consideration about introducing an interim champion if his absence extended further.
Instead, Wayne has now resumed his reign without interruption. With his return official and a successful title defense already in the books, the ROH World Television Title picture just got a lot more interesting.
What do you think is next for Nick Wayne now that he’s officially back and defending his title again? Let us know your thoughts below.
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