Top AEW Star Needs Surgery, "Likely Done" Until 2024
Juice Robinson won't wrestle again this year.
The injury bug continues to plague All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan's young company has seen a number of its top stars miss extended time due to physical setbacks over the years, most notably in 2022 when main-eventers Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and CM Punk all went on the shelf simultaneously. While AEW is relatively healthy today, some remain absent from television as they continue their road to recoveries. Former AEW Women's Champion Thunder Rosa has been out of action since Fall 2022. Kyle O'Reilly has been rehabbing for over one year. Marq Quen's undisclosed injury has made Private Party a solo act since this time last year.
Another AEW Star Injured, Out Until 2024
One of AEW's most prominent stars is joining the injured list.
As reported by Fightful Select, Juice Robinson is out of action with a back injury. It's unclear as to when Robinson suffered the injury. His last match was on the November 1st edition of AEW Dynamite when he and his Bullet Club Gold stablemates defeated AEW World Champion MJF and AEW World Trios Champions The Acclaimed in an eight-man tag match. Robinson will require surgery and is expected to be "done in the ring" for the rest of the year. There is optimism that Robinson won't have "an extremely drawn out absence" as long as his recovery goes as planned.
Robinson first debuted in AEW in September 2022 and officially put pen to paper with the company that December. His AEW run picked up right where his momentum in New Japan Pro Wrestling left off. Robinson spent seven years in the Far East, successfully reinventing himself after requesting his release from WWE NXT. In New Japan, Robinson is a former three-time IWGP United States Champion and has one IWGP Tag Team Title run to his name alongside former partner David Finlay.
Since Jay White officially joined AEW this past spring, Robinson has been a staple of weekly programming. Robinson and White continue to represent New Japan's Bullet Club in AEW, forming their own spin-off of historic gaijin faction, Bullet Club Gold. Robinson and White have since added Austin and Colten Gunn to their ranks. For the past two months, Bullet Club Gold has been involved in AEW's headlining storyline, feuding with MJF over the AEW World Championship. MJF successfully retained that prize this past Saturday when he defeated White at AEW Full Gear.
While The Gunns got involved in the match, Robinson was nowhere to be seen. He was last seen on this past week's AEW Rampage when he brawled with MJF. That skirmish, which saw MJF get the upper hand, is being used as a way of writing Robinson off of television.
AEW Dynamite returns this Wednesday at 8 PM ET on TBS.