Buddy Matthews Makes Shocking Appearance at WSW Rise Against, Reveals His Medical Status

AEW star Buddy Matthews made a surprise appearance at World Series Wrestling’s (WSW) Rise Against event in Adelaide, South Australia, earlier today.

Matthews, wearing a black hoodie, suddenly appeared in the ring and attacked Donovan Dijak with a steel chair. After Stomping Dijak, Matthews grabbed a microphone and provided an update on his medical status.

Matthews said that although he is not cleared yet, he’ll be once October rolls around, declaring that he’ll be going after championship gold post-return.

Check out the video below:

BUDDY MATTHEWS IS BACK!!

He just showed up to the WSW show and attacked Dijak! #RiseAgainst

Said he is not cleared yet, but will be in October.@WSWWrestlingAUS @SNM_Buddy pic.twitter.com/gQffmP1QMK

— 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐕𝐞𝐧 (@WrestlingCovers) May 15, 2026

Buddy Matthews has been away from in-ring action since February 2025 due to an ankle injury. He rolled his ankle ahead of the AEW Continental Championship match against Kazuchika Okada at Grand Slam: Australia. Despite the injury, Matthews wrestled for over 13 minutes before ultimately succumbing to The Rainmaker.

Matthews underwent surgery last summer and has since been providing regular updates on his recovery process through social media. In December 2025, Buddy informed fans during a Q/A session on Instagram that he was still suffering from nerve issues and numbness and that his return would be delayed.