The legend of Bandido’s wrist has grown to epic proportions over the past year. Two surgeries, countless tests, and enough physical therapy to make your grandma feel young again, but now? According to WrestlePurists and Fightful, the lucha libre maestro is officially “ready to go” and may be set to make his grand return to AEW programming soon.
WrestlePurists’ very own Ibou first dropped the bombshell during the “AEW Dynamite” review livestream this past Thursday, declaring with the certainty of a man who knows his wrestling injuries: “Bandido is back.” And let’s just say, if we’re measuring excitement here, that quote alone could sell tickets.
On Friday, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp popped over to X (yes, Twitter, or whatever we’re calling it) to confirm the news, adding a gentle “also what I’ve heard this morning,” which in wrestling speak basically translates to, “this is happening.”
Fans, as always, took the news in a few directions: excitement, trepidation, and even outright concern over where Bandido would fit into AEW’s ever-so-slightly convoluted landscape. For those who haven’t been tracking, AEW’s latest soap opera involves a full-on “civil war” in the locker room, primarily featuring a takeover attempt by the Blackpool Combat Club. Fans now speculate that Bandido, beloved and fresh off a heroic battle with medical hurdles, could serve as a rallying point for AEW’s “babyface” squad—because who doesn’t love a comeback story?
In case you’re just joining the Bandido injury saga, here’s a refresher: the guy’s been out since June 2023, thanks to a brutal wrist injury during a match with Konosuke Takeshita. Originally projected to return by year-end 2023, Bandido’s wrist apparently had other plans, dragging him into a second surgery and leaving him on the sidelines. Now, he’s telling anyone within earshot that he’s “ready,” though official clearance from AEW’s medical team is still conspicuously absent.
No word yet on when Bandido will re-enter the ring, but AEW’s audience is buzzing with theories, casting him as everything from a lone wolf, swooping in to save the day, to an ace in the babyface pack, taking on Blackpool Combat Club in what could be a comeback for the ages.