Folks, we all love a good comeback story, and AEW’s The Blade (Jesse Guilmette) is writing his own chapter with a back fusion surgery that’s got him walking down hospital hallways like a champ—Jell-O cup in hand, no less. Yes, the tag-team bruiser of The Butcher and the Blade fame has been off the AEW radar in 2024, but thanks to modern medicine (and a little help from Tony Khan), it looks like he’s gearing up for a return.
Blade recently shared the news on Instagram, posting a short clip of him strolling through the hospital halls, plus a lovely shot of his culinary reward: a delightful tray of hospital cuisine complete with plastic containers and an extra helping of Jell-O. Because, let’s be honest, nothing says “road to recovery” like a wobbly cup of dessert.
His fellow AEW stars, including the mysteriously absent Miro, flooded the comments section with their well-wishes, turning this into a social media lovefest of epic proportions. Of course, Blade’s absence has been felt. The last time we saw The Butcher and The Blade in action was January, when they teamed with Kip Sabian on AEW Rampage in a valiant, yet ultimately losing effort against Mark Briscoe and the Hardy brothers. Then, the Blade took another L alongside his partner against Top Flight at a Ring of Honor taping, and it became clear that his back was having none of it.
According to Blade himself, the back issues stemmed from a bad fall in 2020, and things only worsened over time. Eventually, even for the toughest of wrestlers, the mat life gives way to the knife life. But in true fighter fashion, Blade thanked AEW’s Tony Khan for the top-tier care he’s received, showing that not only is AEW a wrestling powerhouse, but they also dish out first-class surgery support.
In Blade’s absence, The Butcher has been keeping busy, last seen mixing it up with The Outrunners against Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, and Tomohiro Ishii on Rampage. But with Blade on the mend, fans are eagerly awaiting the return of this sharp tag-team duo.