AEW star Buddy Matthews has provided a candid and somewhat concerning update on his recovery from ankle surgery. The House of Black member took to his Instagram story to inform fans that his return to the ring is taking longer than anticipated due to lingering nerve issues.
Delayed Recovery
Matthews, who underwent surgery in August 2025, admitted that the rehabilitation process has been frustratingly slow. Despite hoping to be back in action by now, he is still dealing with significant numbness in the affected area.
“It’s been a long process. I’m still having nerve issues with a lot of numbness,” Matthews wrote. “But I’ve accepted that it’s going to take time. I really thought I’d have returned to the ring by now, but I can only control what I can.”
Lingering Issues
This latest update follows a post from earlier this month where Matthews celebrated being able to perform hack squats for the first time since his operation. Even then, he noted that he was “still very restricted with ankle mobility” and that numbness was a persistent factor.
“Numbness is still a factor but hopefully subsides in the near future,” he shared at the time.
The Injury
Matthews originally suffered the injury in February 2025 during his entrance at AEW Grand Slam: Australia. He rolled his ankle before his match against Kazuchika Okada even began but still managed to compete in the bout. After months of trying to rehab the injury naturally, he opted for surgery in August.
