AEW Airs Wardlow Return Teaser Video At All Out

AEW used its All Out pay-per-view on Saturday, September 26, to remind fans that Wardlow’s comeback is still on the horizon, airing a new video package hyping the former three-time TNT Champion’s return. The video, shown during the show at NOW Arena in the Chicago area, did not include a specific date for when Wardlow will actually show up on AEW programming again.

Wardlow has been absent from AEW television since Forbidden Door in London in August 2025, when he shocked the crowd by attacking Prince Nana and Swerve Strickland after Strickland’s loss to Kazuchika Okada, then aligning himself with Don Callis and the Don Callis Family on the stage. That surprise appearance turned out to be short-lived — Wardlow suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the segment, reportedly while delivering a clothesline to Nana, and he has not wrestled since. Reports at the time indicated AEW had big plans for him, including a world title program against Adam Page that never came to fruition because of the injury.

The pec tear compounded an already lengthy layoff. Wardlow’s last actual match in AEW came all the way back in March 2024, when he challenged Samoa Joe for the world championship on Dynamite. A shoulder injury, reportedly worsened by a car accident, kept him out for much of the time in between. Even after receiving medical clearance earlier in 2025, Wardlow didn’t return to AEW right away — instead, he filmed Prime Video’s American Gladiators reboot, hosted by The Miz, which premiered in April 2026 and reportedly generated enough footage for two seasons.

Wardlow himself has spoken candidly about how difficult the stretch away from the ring has been. Discussing the pectoral injury on BCP+ earlier this year, he called it the first injury of his career serious enough to sideline him and described losing nearly everything he cared about at once — from relationships to his ability to train. He apologized to fans for disappearing from social media and insisted he’s eager to get back in front of a live crowd, regardless of how they react to him. He also said at the time he was “very, very close to being ready.”

There have since been reports that Wardlow has quietly been backstage at AEW events in recent months, suggesting his in-ring return has been closer than it might have appeared. Saturday’s video is the clearest public signal yet that AEW intends to bring him back into the fold, even if the exact timeline remains under wraps.

For a performer who was once positioned as a potential top-of-the-card star — complete with a memorable programs against MJF and a reign as TNT Champion — Wardlow’s prolonged absence has been one of the more frustrating subplots in recent AEW history. The Don Callis Family angle briefly reignited that momentum before injury derailed it again. With All Out now in the rearview mirror and no date attached to the tease, fans will be watching AEW’s upcoming Dynamite and Collision tapings closely for any sign of exactly when Wardlow finally steps back through the curtain.

WARDLOW’S RETURN LOOMS!

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— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 27, 2026