Sad news, folks—just days before AEW’s fifth anniversary episode of “Dynamite,” one of the company’s founding stars, Austin Matelson, better known to fans as Killswitch (formerly Luchasaurus), has been hospitalized with a serious medical condition. According to a report from Fightful, Matelson collapsed on Friday and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found his blood oxygen levels dangerously low—below 80%, when normal levels sit between 95% and 100%.
Doctors quickly diagnosed Matelson with pneumonia in both lungs, a condition that had brought him perilously close to permanent lung damage. Since Friday, the former AEW TNT, Tag Team, and Trios Champion has been on oxygen and is expected to be out of action for more than a month, though his recovery time could be longer.
This health scare marks a major setback for Killswitch, who’s been a staple of AEW since its inception. Originally known as Luchasaurus, he gained fame as part of the Jurassic Express alongside Jack Perry, then known as Jungle Boy. The two captured AEW Tag Team gold in 2022. However, the character of Luchasaurus took a darker turn after betraying Perry to join Christian Cage’s villainous stable, The Patriarchy. Rebranded as Killswitch, Matelson became a fearsome force, winning Trios Championship gold with Cage and Nick Wayne before losing the belts at AEW All In 2024 to the Blackpool Combat Club.
Killswitch hasn’t competed in the ring since Wembley, and now, with this medical emergency, it’s unclear when fans will see him back in action. According to Fightful, Matelson’s family gave permission for the report to be shared, and AEW fans around the world are sending their support and hoping for a full recovery.