Reason Why Excalibur Was Absent From AEW Dynamite

Excalibur was noticeably absent from this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite in San Jose, California, marking a rare missed taping for the lead voice of the promotion. According to a report from PWInsider, the situation was straightforward as the announcer fell ill and was physically unable to work the broadcast.

To adjust for the absence, AEW used a three-man booth consisting of Tony Schiavone, Ian Riccaboni, and “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. Danielson, who has frequently provided guest commentary during his tenure, stepped in to provide a veteran perspective during a night that featured the in-ring debut of David Finlay and a heated confrontation between The Dogs and the team of Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy.

A Rare Absence for the Lead Voice

Excalibur’s absence was particularly notable given the proximity to AEW Revolution 2026, scheduled for this Sunday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Despite his illness, the show moved forward with Riccaboni handling the bulk of the play-by-play duties.

The situation is currently described as a short-term illness, and there is no indication that Excalibur will miss the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view. However, AEW has not officially commented on his status for the weekend or when he will return to his regular seat.

Revolution 2026 features a “Last Chance” Texas Death Match for the AEW World Championship and a 2-out-of-3 Falls match for the Women’s World Championship. Below is the full card:

• AEW World Champion MJF vs. Hangman Page (If Page loses, he cannot wrestle for the World Title again) – Texas Death Match
• AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR vs. The Young Bucks.
• AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita – No Time Limit Match
  
• AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla vs. Kris Statlander
• AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions The Babes of Wrath vs. Megan Bayne & Lena Kross.
• AEW World Trios Champions Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, and Mark Davis vs. Místico and JetSpeed.
• Toni Storm vs. Marina Shafir – Everyone Banned From Ringside
• Brody King vs. Swerve Strickland
• Bandido vs. Andrade El Idolo
• Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, and Roderick Strong vs. The Dogs
• AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale vs. Lena Kross (Zero Hour)
• AEW National Champion Ricochet, Tommaso Ciampa, 19 More Competitors TBA – Blackjack Battle Royale (Zero Hour)