Good day! Here is an updated WWE and AEW injury report for the month of May, along with any notable absentees. Reasons for absence can include suspensions and unexplained inactivity. There have been a few changes since the last time we shared a report in December, as there have been many returnees and others who were let go. Unlike before, I have added the All Elite Wrestling roster to the mix.
The Miz — At WrestleMania: Backlash, during the zombie lumberjack match with Damian Priest, The Miz tore his ACL. He is expected to be out for seven months. It’s never the right time to pick up an injury, but we could say the reason he is sidelined is due to being eaten alive.
Becky Lynch & Lacey Evans — Both are enjoying their maternity leave. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins welcomed their daughter Roux in to the world in December, so she could return to action soon. We expect Lacey Evans to be out til next year, after she announced her pregnancy on Raw in February.
Riddick Moss — He has been out of action since sharing an Instagram post in October. Moss said:
“Over the past 2 months, Riddick Moss has gone undefeated in both #RawUnderground and the #WWEThunderdome, showing elite power, speed, agility, and explosion. While training, I’ve squatted 500, deadlifted 600, and broad jumped over 10’. I have done all of this with a torn ACL. When you have such high expectations for yourself, it’s hard to exceed them. But damn… even I was impressed with Riddy Mo on this one. 100% real talk, I don’t know of anyone else who could’ve done all of this.
I am everything I’ve said I am – best athlete in the industry, Baddest MoFo on the Show, and a true Outlier. It speaks to my unmatched training, world-class athleticism, and extraordinary toughness. In other words, it’s a testament to the Riddick Regimen. And if you didn’t already believe in the Regimen, just wait til you see THIS comeback.”
Keith Lee — His status is shrouded in mystery, to where some outlets claimed he isn’t medically cleared or was due to be cut from his contract. His girlfriend Mia Yim (aka Reckoning) told us to be patient and it’s no one’s business.
None. For the first time ever, I cannot find anyone on the SmackDown roster who is injured or absent.
Kona Reeves — He might be the longest serving wrestler in NXT history (behind Tyler Breeze?), but has spent much of his time either sidelined with injury, or as an enhancement talent for live events. Rarely used on TV, Reeves is still out with a torn labrum.
Arturo Ruas — Recently seen on Raw Underground, Arturo’s return to NXT looked promising. His first match back was with Kushida, but he suffered a right bicep injury during the encounter. There were creative plans for him to be a regular on NXT TV. He has since had surgery and is recovering.
Ridge Holland — The big Yorkshireman and former Rugby player enjoyed a successful run in NXT UK before migrating to the American NXT branch. Almost immediately, he became the “Next Big Thing” by quickly challenging for the NXT North American title. After losing, he turned his focus on to the Undisputed Era and made his mark by sidelining Adam Cole. He would have likely served as Pat McAfee’s hired muscle, but an ankle injury stopped it from happening.
Tegan Nox — She last wrestled in a Battle Royale in late September. Since then, it was reported the Welsh superstar has suffered a third torn ACL, possibly because her previous hadn’t healed properly. She’s in good spirits though: “I’m doing great. I mean, I’m way ahead of schedule on the rehab [post surgery], so it’s just a waiting game right now. I’m trying to do as much as I can but the new puppy [Marvel] is something else.”
Danny Burch — Enjoying the most successful spell of his entire career, the UK star won the NXT Tag Team Championship with Oney Lorcan. Later, they showed their allegiance to Pete Dunne & Pat McAfee. They ruled over the tag team division for several months, but were forced to vacate the titles when Danny suffered a separated shoulder injury.
Curt Stallion — A rising star of NXT’s Cruiserweight division and 205 Live, Stallion’s momentum was sorely halted after picking up a wrist injury.
Brandi Rhodes — We can’t miss this one, as she & Cody Rhodes have made it very public they are having a child. Understandably, she will be on maternity leave for some time.
The Butcher — Where did Butcher & The Blade go? You might wonder why Eddie Kingston suddenly ditched them to team with Jon Moxley. Turns out that The Butcher is suffering with a thumb injury. Hand injuries rarely take long to heal, so expect the tag team to return soon.
Darius Martin — As one-half of the young & exciting tag team Top Flight, they were set to make a huge impact in AEW’s tag team division. But an ACL injury will sideline the rise of a team with unlimited potential.
John Silver — The Dark Order’s charismatic “4” is around on TV, but is resting up from a shoulder injury, so don’t expect to see him in the ring soon.
Anna Jay — It’s not good times for The Dark Order, as their “99” isn’t able to wrestle because of a dislocated shoulder. She is helping Tay Conti to leave her mark on the women’s division.
Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford — As we saw a few weeks ago, Miro utterly destroyed his former friend in the backstage area. This happened because Sabian needed surgery on his arm. This broke up the group, so we haven’t seen Penelope Ford since then either. She hasn’t worked in a match since last month.
Ricky Starks — AEW officials hoped he would be fine after a match with Hangman Page, but it was later found he had a minor fracture in his neck. Tony Khan said the following:
“So he’s going to be sitting out for awhile. It’s very scary, but I’m really glad they took all the precautions they took. That’s why Doc sent him to get a second opinion and go get an MRI. They definitely told him to take a few months off and rest. It’s a very unfortunate situation. I wasn’t going to say that specifically, but it somehow got out. I talked to Starks about it last night and I’m really gutted for him, because he’s worked so hard to get to this spot. And he would’ve been a big part of Double or Nothing. I can’t say enough good things about Ricky Starks and what he does for AEW.”
Despite the injury, Starks continues to appear on Dynamite in a non-wrestling role, helping with Team Taz’s affairs.
And this concludes our WWE & AEW Injury Report for the month of May! Please let me know if I have missed anyone in the comments section, thank you.