Buddy Matthews' long-awaited return to the ring is on hold again. World Series Wrestling announced that the AEW star will no longer appear on its MEGAMANIA tour, a five-show run from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, citing scheduling conflicts, Ringside News and Wrestling Inc. reported.
"We're really disappointed that Buddy won't be joining us this time around," WSW said in its statement, adding that it understands schedules can change and hopes to bring Matthews back on a future tour. The promotion gave no further details about the conflict.
A long road back
The tour would have marked Matthews' first matches since early 2025. He hurt his ankle during his entrance at Grand Slam Australia in February 2025 but still finished his match against Kazuchika Okada. After surgery, he said in a video that he had to relearn how to walk.
Matthews announced in August that he had been medically cleared to compete. Months before that, he turned up at a WSW event to attack Donovan Dijak, Wrestling Inc. noted.
What's next
Several AEW names remain on the MEGAMANIA lineup, including National Champion Andrade El Idolo, Sammy Guevara, Brian Cage and Cassie Lee. AEW, meanwhile, has a packed calendar with Fright Night Dynamite and Collision, Blood & Guts, Full Gear, Winter Is Coming and Worlds End, plus the annual C2 tournament beginning Nov. 18.
There is no word yet on where or when Matthews will finally wrestle again, whether in AEW or elsewhere.
Reporting sources: Ringside News, “Buddy Matthews Pulled From Wrestling Return Just Days Before Scheduled Tour” · Wrestling Inc. - Pro Wrestling News, WWE & AEW Results, Superstar Interviews, “AEW Star Buddy Matthews Pulled From Australian Indie Tour Due To Scheduling Conflicts”.