AEW: Wardlow Reportedly Was Backstage at Revolution 2026, Dustin Rhodes Double Knee Replacement Surgery & Return Plans Update, Anthony Ogogo on He Was “Being Groomed To Join Blackpool Combat Club & “F*ck ICE” Chants at AEW Shows

Wardlow’s Torn Pectoral Injury & Return Plans Status Update – Wardlow Reportedly Was Backstage at AEW Revolution 2026

As noted before, Wardlow has been out of action for AEW since this past August’s Forbidden Door 2025 due to a torn pectoral injury.

Fightful Select reported that their sources stated that Wardlow was seen in attendance backstage at AEW’s Revolution 2026 event earlier this month in Los Angeles, California.

Those spoken to reportedly stated that Wardlow was just there to visit and he has not been planned for any AEW shows as of late.

It was reported that it is currently not known if AEW officials have any imminent plans for Wardlow’s return from injury nor if he is medically cleared for a return to the ring.

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Dustin Rhodes Double Knee Replacement Surgery & Return Plans Update

As noted before, Dustin Rhodes has been out of action for AEW since this past July due to a double knee replacement surgery. Rhodes has been hopeful of being able to make an in-ring return by the end of this month.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that Rhodes was in attendance backstage at this past Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite and Collision tapings in Fresno, California.

Johnson reported that Rhodes was working as a producer backstage during the tapings. Rhodes reportedly was also in the ring at one point before the show running the ropes in the ring and likely working towards being medically cleared by AEW’s medical team to perform in the ring.

Johnson also reported that the general reaction backstage to Rhodes’ appearance was one of everyone being very happy to have Rhodes back. Rhodes reportedly was said to have been in good spirits being back at work.

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Anthony Ogogo Comments on He Was “Being Groomed To Join Blackpool Combat Club & “F*ck ICE” Chants at AEW Shows

ITR Wrestling held a recent interview with AEW and ROH talent Anthony Ogogo. One of the topics discussed included Ogogo revealing that he was “being groomed” at one point to join the Blackpool Combat Club stable in AEW.

“He taught me how to wrestle. The whole thing about pro wrestling is you can be who you wanna be. Just because I wrestle like big and strong and do like power moves. Like Regal taught me this as well, Regal taught me this old school British wrestling big guy, tough styles. Just because you do the impact stuff doesn’t mean you can’t learn the intricate stuff. It just thus far hasn’t been called to use, doesn’t make sense for me to be using it. He [Bryan Danielson] taught me so much, again, not just wrestling stuff, but how to get over. He got this thing [the Yes chants] over. And when someone does a move, or a quote and it transcends outside of wrestling, that guy knows what he’s talking about. Tremendous guy, wonderful man. Really really nice guy as well. Super nice guy. At that point I was being groomed to join the Blackpool Combat Club, before it became the Blackpool Combat Club and it never really materialized. So I trained all this time with Danielson and Regal and put in all those hard work in to learn, and Regal, as well, someone who knows how to get over. People remember Regal’s time in the Attitude Era, putting in the funny faces. The man could work, he could work with anybody. He was really good. Yes they had the entertainment side of things, but as a true professional wrestler, that guy put the real back into wrestling. Taught me loads and loads. I haven’t been able to get to wrestle on TV, but when I get the go ahead, I am ready.”

Ogogo also gave his thoughts about the “Fuck ICE” chants by crowds at recent AEW shows and his stance on the political issue.

“I don’t like sitting on a fence. I’ll say what I feel. I have talked to Jerry Lynn. It’s a strange one really. It’s one of those ones where, I can talk about myself, when I was growing up as a kid, or when I was a young man, it’s weird that I watch less wrestling now, or since I have since I became a wrestler, than I did before, since I am doing it all the time. I’d put the TV on, and I’d settle down and I’d watch wrestling. If life was stressful for whatever was going on, I’d watch for two hours, enjoy my wrestling and I’d get back to my life. I’d get back to whatever I was facing at that time. When you start bringing up political things into the show, it then brings real life into the show, which should be an escape. That’s one perspective to have, like there’s lots of crazy c*ap going on in the world, I want to avoid that and watch wrestling for two hours. However, that being said, we have lots of fans, lots of passionate fans, and it’s one of those things where people want to voice their opinions. Ricky Gervais says it very well. Ricky Gervais was hosting the Golden Globes. He’d be like come up here, say thank you and p*ss off. Don’t start doing monologues and this and that. It’s almost like that. Come in, wrestle, p*ss off. That being said, when I was doing promo, when I was with Cody, I did a promo, five years ago, I was obviously bashing America and I was talking about ICE, so all about leaving politics out and all that, I have done it. I did it five years ago before it was cool to talk about it. It is what it is at the end of the day. Wrestling is all about emotion.”