The injury bug has manage to bite a number of AEW's top stars over the past year, with many of them not expected to return until 2025. The likes of Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston, and Keith Lee have all been sidelined for sometime, but the company got a welcome boost by the appearance of two injured stars who appeared backstage at the September 18 "AEW Dynamite."
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According to PWInsider, Adam Cole was backstage at the event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, as he is nearing the one year mark since his initial injury at the 2023 edition of Grand Slam. Cole was reportedly backstage at the All Out pay-per-view on September 7, where he was said to be walking around fine after breaking his ankle almost a year ago, but there is still no timetable on when he could potentially make his in-ring return.
The other star who was backstage for the first time in a while was former TBS Champion Julia Hart. She took time away from AEW after the Dynasty pay-per-view in April to rehab a shoulder injury she had been working through leading up to the event, and underwent surgery a few days later. Once again, there is no timetable in place for when she will return to the ring, but the appearance backstage on September 18 is something a lot of people were very happy to see. Cole and Hart aren't the only injured stars who could be nearing a return. Former TNT Champion Powerhouse Hobbs was recently backstage at an episode of "Dynamite" following a lengthy spell on the shelf with a knee injury, and both Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi were spotted training together in Japan as neither man has wrestled for AEW at all in 2024 due to injuries for Ibushi, and a diverticulitis diagnosis for Omega.
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