Rhea Ripley shares update on Buddy Matthews’ return from injury
Out and injured for several months now, Rhea Ripley has shared a major update on her husband Buddy Matthews’ return timeline.
While Ripley is one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster, her husband, Matthews, was also one of the most popular names in AEW. However, after suffering an injury last year in February 2025, Matthews has not been seen on AEW television.
Recently appearing on What’s Your Story with Steph McMahon, Ripley shared a detailed update on Matthews’ recovery and return.
“He’s still starting to get back into the ring stuff because he got injured over a year ago in February when they [AEW] went to Australia. So he got injured then, so he’s just started getting back into the ring now, and just trying to rehab it and see what he can do. He’ll get in, and we’ll run the ropes,” Ripley said.
“I’ve been teaching him some rolls, since the boys’ class didn’t do as many rolls as the girls ‘class, apparently… We’ve been getting in a little bit. Also, I get nervous about getting hurt, especially these days, because I’m always on the road, I’m always doing stuff. I want to stay sharp, but I also don’t want to get beat up more than I get beat up. So I go a little bit easier. He’s definitely going harder than me right now because he’s trying to get back into that mode.” (H/T Fightful)
Where is Buddy Matthews now?
It has been almost 15 months since Matthews was ruled out of action with an injury. He last wrestled Kazuchika Okada at Grand Slam Australia, where he suffered an ankle injury.
However, recovering and preparing for his in-ring comeback, Matthews recently shocked the world when he made his surprise appearance for World Series Wrestling. Following that, he was also announced for an upcoming indie tour across New Zealand and Australia.
Shounak Chakrabarti is an experienced sports journalist with a lifelong passion for athletics and storytelling. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and joined F4WOnline in 2025.
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