All Elite Wrestling star Buddy Matthews has officially stepped back into a wrestling ring for the first time in nearly 15 months and also revealed when fans can expect to see him back in action full-time.

Matthews resurfaced during night one of the World Series Wrestling Rise Against tour at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Australia. The surprise appearance came after Donovan Dijak retained the WSW Championship in a four-way bout against Moose, Matt Hayter, and Matt Riddle.

Following the match, Matthews stormed out wearing a black hoodie and carrying a steel chair. He wasted little time going after Dijak, unloading with repeated chair shots before grabbing a microphone to address the crowd and confirm his recovery progress.

“In case you’ve forgotten my name is Buddy Matthews! And I’m the guy that kicked down the door for every Australian to make it overseas. Now let’s get one thing straight, I might not be cleared now but in October I will be. And I might just take all the gold because hell’s frozen over and you just can’t stop the unstoppable,” Matthews declared.

The appearance marked Matthews’ first physical involvement at a wrestling event since suffering a serious ankle injury during his entrance at AEW Grand Slam Australia back in February 2025. Despite tearing ligaments and dealing with nerve damage in his foot, Matthews still went ahead with his AEW Continental Championship match against Kazuchika Okada later that night.

His latest appearance now signals that an in-ring comeback is finally within reach, with October set as the target for his official medical clearance.

Buddy Matthews revealed that he’s not cleared yet to wrestle... but will be in October later this year.
pic.twitter.com/h1CGKnYaqP https://t.co/qA35Hknj8U

, Drainmaker (@TheDrainmaker) May 15, 2026