AEW star The Blade has revealed that All Elite Wrestling covered the costs of his extensive spinal fusion surgery and subsequent physical therapy, a major medical procedure that has kept him out of action for over a year. The veteran tag team specialist, who has been sidelined since September 2024, opened up about his long battle with a debilitating back injury during a recent appearance on the “Talk N’ Shop” podcast. His comments highlight the significant investment that AEW makes in the health and well-being of its talent, providing comprehensive medical care that is crucial for professional wrestlers who constantly put their bodies on the line. The financial and physical support from the company has been a major factor in his long road to recovery.
The Blade, who is one-half of The Butcher and The Blade tag team, detailed the specifics of his surgery and expressed his immense gratitude to AEW for their support.
“I had a back fusion, spinal fusion, on September 10th of ’24. It’s been about a year now, and I’m getting close to going back to doctors, getting cleared, the whole thing… I’ve been wrestling 25 years, you know, I’ve had a bad back for a long time. Like, AEW f—ing took care of my surgery, they took care of my physical therapy, like they’ve been taking care of me for like over a year now; I’m really, really grateful for that job.”
He also recalled the specific match in 2020 where he believes he significantly worsened his back injury, a chaotic Falls Count Anywhere match against The Young Bucks.
“It’s like embarrassing to say… Me and Butcher had a f—ing killer Falls Count Anywhere with the Bucks. And I’m in my 40s, and I was thinking that I was Jeff Hardy… I went to do the exact same thing [front flip over a table], I mean, I can remember when I slid in the ring and I was hitting the ropes and I just, my legs weren’t there and I was like ‘I don’t have this. I remember my, just, felt the right side of my back just…going like completely numb… And just kept wrestling!”
The Blade is now getting close to being medically cleared to return to the ring, with his long recovery being a testament to his dedication and AEW’s commitment to its talent.
H/T to Fightful for the transcription. Thanks for checking out this article. Make sure to follow Jeff Jarrett and all things GFE on Facebook.
