Dustin Rhodes update on knee replacement recovery, future shoulder surgery
After his in-ring career is over, Dustin Rhodes will need to undergo surgery to get both of his shoulders replaced.
The 56-year-old Rhodes had double knee replacement surgery in August and has been giving updates on his recovery on social media. In a tweet last night, Rhodes shared the positive news that his knee arthritis is gone. He’ll need to have shoulder surgery in the future, but it won’t be until after his time in the ring is over.
The one positive I can say about my knee replacements is, the arthritis is gone. I will be doing both shoulder when I call it quits. They are also destroyed. I chose to abuse my body in more ways than 1, and wouldn't change a damn thing.
— Dustin Rhodes (@dustinrhodes) November 14, 2025
“The one positive I can say about my knee replacements is, the arthritis is gone,” Rhodes tweeted. “I will be doing both shoulder when I call it quits. They are also destroyed. I chose to abuse my body in more ways than 1, and wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
Rhodes is targeting a February-March 2026 return to the ring, which would be roughly seven months removed from having his knees replaced. He’s still in a considerable amount of pain at the moment, especially after he wakes up in the morning.
“The hardest thing for me at this moment, is getting up from a chair, and stepping down a step with right especially,” he tweeted this week. “My legs have always been pretty thin and cannot wait to actually strengthen them more [once] I am able. I am on track for my age and then some and I would assume its because I have a strong work ethic and an athlete. Prob late Feb, early March for the greatest comeback of anyone in their 50’s.”
Rhodes is under a long-term contract with AEW as a wrestler and coach, along with running his own Rhodes Wrestling Academy in Texas.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.