Buddy Matthews has confirmed that he suffered an injury at AEW Grand Slam: Australia by sharing that he is now using a protective walking boot. On his Instagram Stories, Matthews tried to see the funny side of his situation, suggesting that the boot made him feel like Marvel’s Iron Man.
Talk of Matthews suffering an injury at Grand Slam sprang shortly after his entrance for his match with AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Coming down from the ropes, Matthews landed awkwardly on his ankle and was seen limping after his loss in his home country.
Buddy Matthews rolled his ankle during his entrance and limped to the back at the end of the match.
At this time, details remain scarce about the specifics of Matthews’ injury and how long he will need off to recover. His absence comes amid major changes in his on-screen direction. With Malakai Black no longer with AEW, the group formerly known as the House of Black are now the Hounds of Hell, but Brody King and Julia Hart will be without Matthews for the time being.
Matthews’ situation proves that injuries in wrestling can come at any time, not just when wrestlers are battling it out in or out of the ring. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Buddy Matthews and his recovery.
The situation gained attention when Matthews briefly posted, then deleted, a social media message suggesting his injury was connected to AEW’s ring size controversy.
“#AEWGrandSlamAustralia – If it wasn’t a 16×16 SHT wrestling ring!” he wrote. “1: Wouldn’t have destroyed my ankle on my entrance due to holes in the padding. 2: Okada wouldn’t have been able to put his foot on the rope & I’d be champion. Sht happens…”
His wife, WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, has acknowledged the injury on social media, and recent photos show Matthews using crutches during their honeymoon celebrations.
The timing is particularly unfortunate as Matthews and Ripley are currently celebrating their recent marriage. Despite the injury, the newlyweds are continuing with their honeymoon plans, though Matthews is now navigating the festivities with mobility assistance.
Romance is in the air this morning, as WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley and AEW star Buddy Matthews are beginning their honeymoon. The reigning Women’s World Champion will miss tonight’s WWE Raw as a result.
Rhea Ripley and Buddy Matthews’ romance began when they met in WWE in 2021, while Matthews was performing for WWE under the name Buddy Murphy. The couple went public with their relationship in 2022, and Matthews proposed to Ripley during a vacation in Cocoa Beach, Florida in August 2023.
They tied the knot in a lavish all-black-themed wedding ceremony on June 23, 2024, where Ripley wore a stunning black strapless dress and Matthews complemented her in an all-black suit.
Despite working for rival companies – Ripley in WWE and Matthews in AEW – the couple maintains a strong and supportive relationship. Ripley has emphasized that Matthews understands and supports her career trajectory, noting that he’s comfortable with her prominent position in the wrestling industry. After their wedding last year, their busy schedules prevented them from taking a honeymoon, but they are finally able to enjoy this special time together following AEW’s Grand Slam event in their home country of Australia.
In a touching display of love and respect at AEW Grand Slam: Australia, Buddy Matthews honored his wife, WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, throughout his Continental Championship match against Kazuchika Okada in Brisbane.
Matthews, performing in front of his hometown crowd at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, incorporated several elements of Ripley’s signature style and moves into his performance.
Rhea Ripley backstage at AEW Grand Slam Australia
He emerged wearing an Australian-themed jacket reminiscent of Ripley’s iconic Elimination Chamber attire, and during the match, executed her trademark moves including the Inverted Cloverleaf submission and her distinctive stomp.
Buddy Matthews pays homage to Mami
While Ripley maintained a low profile backstage to ensure the spotlight remained on the event, her presence was felt throughout Matthews’ performance, including his use of the Prism Trap.
The hometown audience embraced the tribute, with one creative fan even displaying a sign reading “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”
Despite the emotional atmosphere and strong hometown support, Matthews’ championship pursuit fell short, with Okada retaining the AEW Continental Championship in controversial fashion. The match nonetheless showcased the unique dynamic of wrestling’s power couple, demonstrating how their relationship transcends promotional boundaries.
House of Black has declared that they have no more leaders.
AEW has recently been teasing the reformation of the group featuring Julia Hart, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews as the faction’s leader Malakai Black prepares to exit the company.
Over the last few weeks, the trio have been told that they do not need a leader by people like Cope and Will Ospreay. This new direction of the group was confirmed in a vignette on this week’s Dynamite, where the three declared that they don’t have a guiding voice anymore:
“For years we’ve had a voice to guide us, that voice was all but deafening. Now that voice has gone silent and we’re done living in the shadows. It’s time to honor ourselves. No rules. No leaders. No gods. No masters. Just violence.”
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) January 23, 2025
Malakai Black joined the Elite promotion in 2021. Despite his singles success in WWE, the former NXT champion was put into this group and he’s never won a singles title in his four years with the company. Black’s contract is expected to expire sometime before March and it’s believed that he’s on his way back to WWE.
While AEW has teased the other members of his faction having singles run, it appears that they’ll continue operating as a group as well. A new trademark filing has also revealed the potential new name for them moving forward. You can check out more about it here.
Will Ospreay’s intriguing comments for Buddy Matthews didn’t go unnoticed, as questions remain about the future of the House of Black. During this week’s Dynamite, Ospreay encouraged Matthews to step out of the shadow of Malakai Black.
Ospreay got the win in their singles match, and after the show, Matthews admitted that 2025 had not kicked off as he had hoped. The Australian, who hopes to compete at Grand Slam next month, then turned his attention to Ospreay.
“Will, even though you put a hiccup in my 2025, your words tonight didn’t go to deaf ears.”
EXCLUSIVE @SNM_Buddy comments on the words spoken after his intense match with Will Ospreay, giving his take on the aftermath! pic.twitter.com/Xyhh2D6Snx
Ospreay’s comment about Matthews stepping away from come at an interesting time, with reports that Black is finishing his time with AEW. The Dutchman hasn’t competed for AEW since November’s Full Gear pay-per-view, where he was on the losing end of a four-way tag team match with Matthews.
Matthews has been associated with Black since his arrival in AEW in 2022, and the prospect of the Australian going solo has intrigued fans. With his wife Rhea Ripley seeing huge success on her own in WWE, many are hoping to see Matthews do the same in AEW, if his time working with Black is indeed at an end as rumored.
Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Buddy Matthews and his status going forward in AEW, potentially as a singles performer.
The pro-wrestling power couple faced off in the Burger Challenge on Instagram, a viral game that requires participants to complete a cheeseburger, fries, and a drink in under a minute. Ripley opted to go for her burger first while Matthews started off by making quick work of his fries. The House of Black member, who recently made history with the group, was able to finish the challenge with seconds to spare, while Ripley still had her fries and drink left. In the comments, Ripley explained her defeat, noting that “Sh*t was hard!”
Away from fast food, Rhea Ripley has been continuing her war with Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio as ‘Mami’ is fixated on regaining the WWE Women’s World Championship. Ripley’s most recent opportunity came at WWE Bad Blood where she won via DQ when Raquel Rodriguez interfered, meaning that Morgan kept the gold.
As for Buddy Matthews, he, Brody King, and Malakai Black, the House of Black are continuing to forge their own path on AEW TV, and with Julia Hart declaring that she is fully healed, the group may be a complete unit again very soon. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from Ripley and Matthews, both in and out of the ring.
In 2022, Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley began an on-screen relationship that would last until Dirty Dom’s betrayal of ‘Mami’ at WWE SummerSlam 2024. Away from WWE, Ripley recently tied the knot to her real-life partner Buddy Matthews who has had some choice words for the treacherous Mysterio.
During an Instagram Live stream, Matthews was asked about a potential showdown between himself and Dominik Mysterio. The former AEW Trios Champion was immensely confident, and suggested the only way Mysterio would have a chance was if Matthews was one of Dominik’s favorite foods.
“Dom and me would be one on half. Only way Dom would beat me is if I was a chicken tender and he was hungry.”
Matthews joined AEW the same year that Ripley and Dominik became an on-screen item, though this relationship wasn’t an issue for the real-life couple. In August of this year, Ripley said that there is “a level of respect” between herself and Matthews, and since he’s in the wrestling business, he knows that what airs on TV shouldn’t be taken as real.
Rhea Ripley says managing real-life relationships with what’s happening on TV is all about communication and respecting each other.
The Mami recently spoke to TVInsider where she talked about things such as the growing women’s division of WWE, NXT’s partnership with TNA, and more.
Ripley who has been involved in a long-running angle with Dominik Mysterio was asked what it’s like managing storylines with stuff that happens outside the world of pro wrestling.
The former Women’s Champion who got married to the love of her life Buddy Matthews earlier this year noted how the AEW star is very understanding of her situation:
“There is a level of respect. Luckily for me, Buddy [Matthews] is in the business, so he knows what goes on and is needed from us. He understands my schedule, storylines, everything. He gets it.”
I Feel Safe With Him: Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley mentioned how Buddy was involved in a similar angle during his time with WWE. The two feel safe with each other because they communicate their feelings:
“He was in the same sort of thing with Aalyah Mysterio. I feel like us keeping communication of what is going on is the level of respect that is needed between an actual relationship and an onscreen relationship. He knows I love him, and I feel safe with him. And he feels safe with me, nothing will change that.”
Speaking about Dominik, Rhea noted that they have a lot of fun together too and she loves working with the son of WWE Hall of Famer.
The Australian star’s relationship with Dirty Dom, however, seems to be over after the latter betrayed her and aligned himself with Liv Morgan at the SummerSlam PPV this past Saturday.
Though Ripley is not in the mood to let Dom get off so easily. After the events of this week’s Raw, she has promised to deliver unprecedented brutality to Mysterio and the rest of Finn Balor’s new Judgement Day.
Wrestling fans can expect to see plenty more of Buddy Matthews in AEW, even though he’s not currently appearing on programming. Matthews has reached a new contract with AEW, WrestlePurists reports. The Australian debuted in AEW in February 2022, eight months after his release from WWE in May 2021. Since arriving, Matthews has been part of the House of Black since his arrival and alongside Malakai Black and Brody King, is a former AEW World Trios Champion.
Matthews sticking with AEW will keep him separate from his wife Rhea Ripley who recently returned to WWE RAW programming and will compete at SummerSlam next month. The couple got engaged in August 2023 and tied the knot in April of this year. Despite being in different companies, the couple’s relationship is as strong as ever, and Ripley was spotted backstage at Double or Nothing 2024.
Malakai Black’s Contract Status
Matthews’ ally Malakai Black is another talent fans should expect to see in AEW for a long time to come. In July 2022, AEW President Tony Khan told Busted Open Radio that Black had “almost five years” left on his contract, which would put his expiration date at mid-2027.
Securing contracts is one of the most vital roles for those working behind the scenes in a wrestling company as promotions seek to lock down the best wrestlers working today. Although Black isn’t currently appearing for AEW after being written off TV in June, expect the Australian to bring the fight when he returns to programming.
WWE’s Rhea Ripley and AEW’s Buddy Matthews have officially tied the knot after marrying in an all-black ceremony this month. Ripley shared a photo of herself and her new husband on social media, announcing they tied the knot on Sunday, June 23. Forgoing tradition, Mami wore a black wedding dress for the ceremony while Matthews’ garb matched this macabre theme. Ripley posted this photo on Instagram with a caption that reads,
This huge news unsurprisingly had the wrestling world talking with several wrestlers offering their best wishes. Matt Cardona offered his congrats in the comments section, as did Samantha Irvin. The WWE Raw ring announcer called the situation, “‘perfect”.
Staying on theme, WWE veteran Natalya shared several black heart emojis. The couple’s Instagram post also spawned over 130,000 likes in the first 30 minutes of it being uploaded to the platform. Meanwhile, Ripley’s close friend Dominik Mysterio dropped a few ‘black heart’ emojis to express his approval.
Rhea Ripley & Buddy Matthews
Ripley and Matthews began dating in 2022, which came after the latter’s exit from WWE. In August 2023, the couple shared that they had gotten engaged. This real-life relationship, however, did not stop WWE’s storyline from tying Ripley to her ‘Dom Dom’ Dominik Mysterio.
Ripley is currently out of action after suffering an injury that forced her to relinquish the WWE Women’s World Champion. Interestingly, Buddy Matthews was recently written off TV with an attack by The Patriarchy, and there have been questions as to whether reports of an injury were real or for the storyline. Either way, the couple will have plenty of time to enjoy their honeymoon period after marrying this month.
During this week’s Raw, WWE shared a photo from UFC 299, hardly a surprise given that WWE & UFC are part of TKO Group Holdings. The photo in question, as Michael Cole made clear, was of Rhea Ripley at the most recent UFC event. Ripley was photographed with her fiance Buddy Matthews of AEW. Cole didn’t mention AEW or Matthews, despite Pat McAfee asking “with who?!” was Ripley sat with.
In June 2022, WWE celebrated 20 years since the on-screen debut of John Cena. Many of Cena’s greatest rivals paid tribute to the 16-time WWE World Champion, including some from AEW. Bryan Danielson, Paul Wight, and Chris Jericho all appeared on Raw via video packages to recognize the impressive career of ‘Big Match John.’
Raw announcer Samantha Irvin had a mixed time watching the show. While she was thrilled to see Randy Orton eliminate Logan Paul, her mood soured when Paul attacked Orton, helping Drew McIntyre get the win.
Drew McIntyre was proud to dub himself the Savior of WrestleMania. McIntyre has taken credit for injuring CM Punk and pushing Cody Rhodes to challenge Roman Reigns instead of Seth Rollins.
It wasn’t just WWE Superstars who reacted to the show. Ahead of her Women’s World title match, Rhea Ripley’s fiancee Budy Matthews wished the Eradicator luck in her title match.
Good luck @RheaRipley_WWE – You deserve 60k people screaming your name! Take your moment! ???
In a recent segment on Wrestling Observer Radio, wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer highlighted the possibility of two current AEW roster members making a move to the Stamford-based promotion WWE.
Meltzer identified Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews as the two wrestlers who could potentially transition to WWE. Both Black and Matthews are presently associated with the House of Black faction, alongside Brody King and Julia Hart, within AEW.
The wrestling journalist was talking about the recent cage match between House of Black and Daniel Garcia & FTR on Saturday’s episode of Collision. The fight was originally announced as an Elimination bout but later changed to an Escape the cage match. Meltzer implied that the change was due to the House of Black not wanting to be pinned during the bout:
“[…] Malakai Black never does jobs, and when this was going on and I am watching this, one of the things I was thinking watching this is like, these freaking House of Black guys never do jobs. And here is the other thing. I was thinking what if they win this match and they are just going, like, two of those three guys are going to the WWE.”
Meltzer also remarked that both wrestlers are reluctant to take losses as they aim to maintain the strong image of their characters once they become free agents. He questioned why AEW continues to book them strongly when they are expected to leave for WWE.
“I mean, they are going. As soon as they can go, they are gone. Even though they were treated like shit in the WWE, and they never do jobs here, and they are still going back to the WWE. And my thought is kinda like, why do you keep putting them over when you know they are leaving?”
House of Black Responds
Multiple members of the faction took exception to these comments from Meltzer and reacted on social media. Matthews responded to Meltzer’s remarks with a picture of his AEW stats, stating that Dave lacked research skills.
“For a ‘Reporter,’ he doesn’t know much or do ANY research! Lol,” he commented.
The attached image displayed Matthew’s career stats in AEW, revealing that in 2024, he won one match and lost three. Overall, in his career, he won 25 matches and lost 13. These figures contradict Meltzer’s statement, as Matthews has indeed lost a considerable number of matches, if not the majority:
Brody King explained that the format of the match was always going to be Escape The Cage. Will Washington, who works as a coordinator for AEW came to his support confirming the reason for the graphic change:
Funny how someone’s opinion just becomes fact because they’ve been watching wrestling a long time. The format and stipulation of the cage match was always what it was going to be. It’s not our fault the wording on the graphic changed. https://t.co/zGuNP61TxN
While the wrestling journalist has not responded to these remarks from the AEW stars, this discourse seems to be far from over. Stay tuned for more updates on the situation
House of Black is competing for the Trios titles against The Elite at AEW Revolution. However, Buddy Matthews thinks Malakai Black should challenge for another AEW championship.
Malakai Black as AEW World Champion
Malakai Black
In an interview on “The Amin Show”, Matthews said he is interested in the “North Atlantic” (sic) title. “I’ll take that and I’ll defend it in Australia. I’ll take it to Australia and I’ll defend it. I will go to Japan and I will defend it. Let me take that to the indie scene. I will defend it.”
“I think Malakai deserves to go for that world title. The AEW World title on Malakai Black– he is an outstanding performer. I’ve been in the ring on his side and on the other side facing off with him. So, he is a world champion competitor.”
Matthews believes Brody King “should be tearing it up with Hobbs. Should be in there tearing it up with Samoa Joe for the TNT title. If I could do my own fantasy booking; you do me versus Orange for the Atlantic title, you do Joe and you do Brody for the TNT Title and then you do whoever the winner is at Revolution between MJF and Bryan. Whoever has that title at the end of the night, throw Malakai in there.”
Would you like to see House of Black have singles championships?
Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley have proven to be quite the duo on WWE programming, and have caught the attention of those outside of the promotion.
In the run-up to WWE Clash at the Castle, Ripley repeatedly targeted Dominik, who at the time was aligned with his father Rey Mysterio and Edge.
After turning on his father and the Hall of Famer, Dominik and Ripley have been inseparable and have appeared together both at WWE events and away from the ring.
Reactions
During this week’s SmackDown, Dominik made a rare appearance on the blue brand to confront Charlotte Flair, who’ll defend the Women’s Title against Ripley at WrestleMania 39.
Mysterio went on about how he and Flair were both generational superstars, that they often get compared to their fathers but surpass them anyway
When Dominik tried to smooth talk the record-breaking champion, Flair was quick to shut him down, saying that she “has a real Latino man at home that calls me mami.”
The House of Black is set to return to AEW, and in full, the company has confirmed.
The group officially made its debut in January of this year, initially consisting of leader Malakai Black and Brody King.
The following month, Buddy Matthews would join the faction, which would recruit Julia Hart in May.
The Hiatus
At AEW All Out, Black, King and Matthews lost to the trio of Darby Allin, Sting, and Miro, and after the match, Black took a bow to the Chicago crowd.
Many saw this as a sign of Black’s exit from AEW, which was not the case, but the Dutch wrestler did confirm that he would be taking a break from wrestling for an unspecified time.
Not long after, Matthews would also announce his own hiatus from wrestling, though both confirmed they would return to AEW.
The Return
On Twitter, AEW’s official account shared a promo video highlighting the return of the House of Black.
All four members of the group appear in the video, hitting moves on various victims, intermixed with clips from their work on AEW programming.
An ominous voice warns that the human race has made “complacency and sub-par have become both standard and rewarded.”
Malakai Black reportedly asked for his release from All Elite Wrestling but it was denied.
He cut a promo at an independent wrestling event and followed it up with a statement. Malakai confirmed that he requested his release and stated that he needed some time away to “recalibrate” the past two decades of his life.
Buddy Matthews cut a similar promo at an indie show this past weekend and both stars were rumored to be on their way out of the company. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer has reported that AEW President Tony Khan has opted not to release them from their contracts.
Malakai recently went on Instagram Live and debunked the rumors of his release. The 37-year-old stated that there is no conspiracy to this and he will be back in AEW “soon”.
On a recent edition of Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru, the wrestling legend discussed the confusing events surrounding Malakai Black and All Elite Wrestling. Cornette said it is a little odd that Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews are both cutting similar promos about taking time away in the midst of all the recent rumors.
I don’t know what this f***ing guy is doing and apparently he doesn’t either. And who knows whether anybody in AEW does. If all of this stuff has been misreported, misdiagnosed, and we got the story all wrong, then what is his tag team partner doing the same exact thing for?
He goes and makes an independent show, Buddy, and says the same thing ‘I need to recalibrate, I’m stepping away for a little while, you’ll see me again soon’, he’s doing the exact same thing.
So what is going on here? It’s awful, I can understand one person having this particular issue come up and want to take some time off, but two people? In the same tag team? In the same company? At the same time? Sounds a little odd doesn’t it? That is all I’m saying. I don’t know what is going on but it sounds a little odd.
Cornette wondered why Malakai didn’t just come out and say “here’s the length of my contract and I’m going to honor it” if there was nothing to the story.
Please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru with a H/T to SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.
Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black will be staying with AEW for the foreseeable future despite previous statements teasing their departures.
After taking a bow at the AEW All Out 2022 Pay Per View, it was reported that Black had asked for his release, which the Dutch wrestler confirmed in a statement.
“I did indeed ask for my release.“
Malakai Black.
Last week, Buddy Matthews spoke at an indie event where he also teased an indefinite break from wrestling.
This led to belief among fans that both men were done with the company, with reports that they were hoping on a return to WWE now with Triple H running creative.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer explained that nobody is set to depart AEW following the recent statements from Black and Matthews.
Nobody’s getting released. That’s the doctrine Tony Khan made that very clear I guess in the last couple of days. So now it’s just, he [Malakai Black] is not being released. Buddy Matthews isn’t being released. They may be back sooner than before or whatever but that’s the situation you know.
“You know what the situation is. They were wanting to go and trying to get a way out. I mean which we talked about last night and that was the decision that was made. It’s not to say it’s hard and fast and there would be no way that he [AEW President Tony Khan] will never give anybody a release but I think it’s pretty much the deal.”
Speaking about WWE, Meltzer said this wouldn’t happen in the McMahon-Nick Khan promotion.
“If this happened in the other company [WWE] would those people get releases? The answer is no.”
Dave Meltzer.
WWE has reportedly shown interest in rehiring several former Superstars who have since joined AEW.
Swerve Strickland reportedly referred to WWE to his legal representatives when approached, but is not introduced in a return and Hit Row reunion.
Options
With Black and Matthews seemingly staying with AEW, it remains to be seen when they will return.
Black has said he could be back within a matter of weeks but has given no confirmed timeframe for how long he or Matthews will be gone.
Meltzer sid that Khan could extend the contracts of either man, something seen in the past by WWE.
“Now their option is to sit at home and then he [Khan] can extend the contract if they sit at home, or wrestle. So now they’re going to wrestle. Yeah, kind of a weird thing how that all turned out you know he [Black] waved goodbye and now he’s coming back. You know now he’s gonna blame me [and] you know but that’s what happened. No release.”
For use of these quotes please give a h/t to SEScoops.
Buddy Matthews is denying recent reports made about his status with All Elite Wrestling.
The House of Black member was trending yesterday after a promo he cut at Saturday’s Fight Life Pro Wrestling event surfaced, where the former NXT cruiserweight champion said he was stepping away from pro-wrestling to figure some things out. Matthews added that the things had been weird since the AEW release of Malakai Black, but that he appreciated the fans support since the group was formed earlier this year.
However, that would not be the end of the story. A report would emerge later in the day revealing that Matthews, like Malakai, was also unhappy with how his run with AEW was going, and that he could potentially be on his way out. It was not specified whether Matthews was trying to get out of his AEW contract, or if the company was attempting to get ride of him since the group’s plans fell through. His stablemate Brody King confirmed on Twitter that he wasn’t planning on leaving AEW anytime soon.
Matthews Has Denied The Reports
This would all spell disaster if not for one thing…Matthews calling all the recent reports lies. He took to Twitter late last night and released a GIF from the all time classic sitcom Seinfeld, which shows Elaine shouting out “Fake, Fake, Fake, Fake.”
The House of Black may have crumbled in All Elite Wrestling but Brody King isn’t going anywhere.
At AEW All Out, House of Black battled Miro, Darby Allin, and Sting in a Trios match. Malakai got a taste of his own medicine in the match as Sting spit the green mist in his eyes. Darby followed it up with the Coffin Drop for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Malakai Black stayed behind on the entrance ramp and waved goodbye to the crowd. He later would speak at an independent wrestling event and state that he needed time to “recalibrate”. Black also released a statement that can be read here.
Malakai Black says that he knows we have many questions about his future, and he will answer them when the time is right.
Buddy Matthews and Brody King battled Sting and Darby Allin at Rampage: Grand Slam this past Friday night. This was apparently Buddy’s send-off from the company as he got green mist in his eyes as well. The Great Muta made a shocking appearance in AEW and helped Sting. Muta spat mist in Buddy’s eyes and Sting hit him with the Scorpion Death Drop for the victory.
Buddy appeared at a Fight Life Pro Wrestling event and confirmed he will be going away for a little while like Malakai Black. He used the word “recalibrate” as well and quoted Malakai saying “this isn’t goodbye, this is see you later.”
The remaining House of Black members currently in All Elite Wrestling are Brodie King and Julia Hart.
Brody took to Twitter and shared the “I’m not leaving!” GIF from The Wolf of Wall Street. The 35-year-old signed with All Elite Wrestling in January 2022.
King battled Jon Moxley for the AEW Interim Championship on the July 6th edition of Dynamite but came up short. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for Brody in AEW.
Buddy Matthews is the latest prominent name who won’t be competing on AEW programming anymore, as confirmed by the Australian wrestler.
Matthews joined AEW in February 2022 and immediately aligned himself with Malakai Black and Brody King of The House of Black.
Shortly after AEW President Tony Khan made his signing official on social media.
Leaving AEW
During the most recent Fight Life Pro Wrestling event, Matthews cut a promo following his match and confirmed his departure from AEW
“Tonight, I’m going to be the bearer of some unfortunate news. As everyone knows, the House of Black has had some issues lately. As all the members of the house, I’m speaking for them all, we want to thank you all for being members of the house.
“Unfortunately, I, like some of the other members, need to go away for a while. I need to recalibrate. I need to figure out some things. As my brother Malakai once said, this isn’t goodbye, this is see you later.”
Matthews did not make reference to his contract with AEW, or if his hiatus will result in his departure from the promotion.
The Fall of the House of Black
Matthews is the latest prominent name to finish up work with AEW, after Malakai Black announced his departure earlier this month.
Black had his initial requested release refused, but was later granted a “conditional release” by Tony Khan.
Despite reports that Black was seeking a lengthy, possibly permanent break from wrestling, it has since been reported that he has expressed interest in a return to WWE.
It is not known at this time if Matthews is also interested in a return to the promotion, which has seen several returns since Vince McMahon’s retirement.
AEW’s Grand Slam special is now in the rearview mirror, with the promotion’s Grand Slam: Rampage edition taking place last night. The show, which took place from Arthur Ashe Stadium, opened up with the anticipated House of Black (Brody King & Buddy Matthews) vs. Darby Allin & Sting no-DQ matchup, with Julia Hart accompanying the HoB to the ring.
The match was an all-out brawl that saw the daredevil Allin get busted open following an epic crash through a table alongside Brody King. Meanwhile the Stinger was left handcuffed to a chair as Matthews prepared to beat down the legend with his own baseball bat. Right before the attack the lights would go out and the fans in New York would be treated to their biggest surprise of the night, an appearance from Japanese legend, the Great Muta.
Muta came to the ring slowly and looked as if he was about to attack Sting, who he had an intense rivalry with during the early portion of his career. However, Muta instead hit Matthews with a Dragon Screw before spitting his signature green mist in Matthew’s face, which caused him to back up into Julia Hart, who was standing on the apron. Hart was supposed to take the bump and fall through a table, but she seemed to overshoot her jump and instead came crashing onto the pavement.
While many fans were worried about Hart’s condition after her fall, they need not worry for long. Both Hart and King took to Twitter to reveal that Hart is not only doing just fine, but that her scary looking hat is also okay.
King writes, “I just want everyone to know that TheJuliaHart’s Hat made it out safely. Thank you for your concerns.” Hart herself would then confirm this news with her own tweet. She writes, “Me and my hat are okay.”
I just want everyone to know that @TheJuliaHart’s Hat made it out safely. Thank you for your concerns.
Buddy Matthews hasn’t been seen on AEW programming in recent while. Turns out the reason behind his absence is not what fans speculated.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer recently responded to a question about the House of Black member. He revealed that the high-flying star is on a tour of his home country of Australia:
Buddy Matthews has not been featured on AEW programming since the June 27 edition of Dark: Elevation. He teamed up with Brody King to defeat Brubaker and CJ Esparza.
His last Televised match came during the June 8 Dynamite. The AEW star competed against Pac in an All-Atlantic Championship Qualifying match.
Matthews had revealed in an Instagram post last month that he has been dealing with a shoulder injury that limits his movements. Though the former WWE star was rehabbing. He claimed that he was slowly increasing the weight again.
He has wrestled several matches in Australia since his last AEW appearance. So it appears that his injury is not affecting him as much anymore.
Buddy Matthews joined AEW in February this year after being released by WWE in June 2021. He aligned himself with House of Black immediately but he hasn’t had any significant matches or been part of any immortant feud yet.
Buddy Matthews was absent from the July 6 episode of Dynamite and the reason has been disclosed.
Matthews’ stablemate, Brody King, of House of Black competed against Jon Moxley of the Blackpool Combat Club in a match for the interim AEW World Championship.
King lost to Moxley but received respect from Sting and Darby Allin because of his abilities. Brody rejected the handshake and left with Malakai Black.
Buddy Matthews Misses Dynamite
As a part of the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that Buddy Matthews didn’t appear with the House of Black because he’s currently doing a tour in Australia for World Series Wrestling.
Meltzer also added that the ROH World Champion Jonathan Gresham was also booked for the tour initially and that Brian Cage is currently on the tour.
Meltzer wrote:,
“Buddy Matthews wasn’t on TV this week with the House of Black because he’s home in Australia doing a tour for World Series Wrestling.
Jonathan Gresham was also scheduled for that tour but pulled by AEW since they needed him in the U.S. to do his heel turn and build the ROH PPV this week.”
“Brian Cage also went on the tour and in theory he should be on the ROH show since on the last PPV he was managed by Tully Blanchard, but has not done any AEW television with Blanchard of late.”
Matthews’ Injury
Buddy last wrestled for AEW as a part of the June 22 AEW Dark: Elevation taping. The House of Black member recently disclosed that he has been dealing with a shoulder injury. However, he is still wrestling. He recently wrestled for PWG and faced Mike Bailey during the July 3 PWG Nineteen show.
