Folks, let me tell you, it’s a sad day when an ECW legend like Taz—the human suplex machine himself—gets taken down not by an opponent, but by the wear and tear of time and those notorious knees of his. Before the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, fans were buzzing after the company announced that Taz had been attacked in the parking lot. Oh, the drama! But as our old pal Dave Meltzer (who definitely has all the scoops) kindly pointed out, this wasn’t just another day in the land of headlocks and body slams. No, this was a storyline—kayfabe for the initiated.
But the kicker here? The injury angle was a smokescreen because Taz is heading off for some long-overdue knee replacement surgery. That’s right, folks. The man who could make you tap out just by looking at you funny has been struggling behind the scenes, and apparently, it’s gotten so bad that Taz has been hobbling around backstage like your grandpa after a game of shuffleboard. According to Meltzer, it was actually Mrs. Taz who finally told the big man to get his knees checked out. Ah, nothing like a good ol’ nudge from the missus to get things moving!
Now, don’t worry—this doesn’t mean Taz is tapping out for good. The surgery will keep him off AEW programming for a bit, but it’s not the end of the road. The last time we saw Taz on TV, he was handing the FTW Championship back to his son, Hook, in what can only be described as a very sentimental passing of the torch. Taz’s longtime buddy Bully Ray even gave the moment a thumbs-up, calling it a “full-circle” moment. He also reminded us that the FTW Championship just doesn’t belong anywhere but on Taz’s shoulder. Touché, Bully, touché.
Now, with Taz out of the picture and the FTW Championship retired (again), the spotlight is shining brighter than ever on Hook. This could be the perfect time for AEW to show what the younger Taz is truly capable of, minus the old man’s shadow. Will Hook grab some serious gold while his dad is on the mend? One can only hope!