Buddy Matthews suffered an ankle injury at AEW Grand Slam Australia when he faced Kazuchika Okada for the AEW International Championship.
Matthews rolled his ankle before the match began, but went on to compete against Okada for over 13 minutes before losing.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Matthews commented on his injury.
"It's okay. Rolled it pretty bad. Had an X ray, MRI. There was no break, but there was partial ligament tear and cartilage damage. [I’m] Walking. I haven't ran, I haven't jumped, I've just started implementing cardio, but then it kind of stiffens up. And, you know, we're working through it, but the docs was were telling me I've never seen an ankle roll that much under someone without completely destroying, smashing, disintegrating the bones. So I didn't break a bone, which was incredible, but then I had to wrestle 15 minutes after it.
"So as soon as I rolled, jumped off, and it went, you actually see me go f*ck. Then I go sit in my corner, I'm watching Okada, and then I could just feel my boot tightening up and I'm like, oh. Obviously I don't know how bad it is. So I'm wrestling, and that was the first time. I've shattered my jaw in a wrestling match, I've had injuries before, but that was the first time in the ring that it got to me in the head. I remember doing the thing at the start, and then it started to really sink in, the pain. Then I remember Okada comes up to me and grabs me to whip me to the corner, rather than just going and listening and being in the moment I'm like, can I get there? So then when I got there, I'm like I made it what's next? Then he just runs and just hits with this elbow. Now I'm two steps behind, because I'm just worried about whether I can even do it. Somehow I did, and we got through it, and pretty happy with how it came out, considering how hindered I was."
Asked if he needed surgery, Matthews replied, "I partially tore the ligaments, it didn't even completely rupture it. So when he redid it, he was like oh God. When I touched that last time, it was like it's gonna fall off. I went on my honeymoon afterwards, the next day. I was miserable, and I'm not letting it get me down. She goes, 'Do not get injured in that match.' I go, 'Well technically, I didn't get injured in the match, it’s before the bell.' Then we spent a week in the Gold Coast, and I wasn't letting her win. She wasn't going to be able to throw that in my face and go, 'Remember our honeymoon? You couldn't walk?' Well, I was hobbling around."
Finally, Matthews was asked when he might return to the ring.
"I’m hoping sooner rather than later. I'm obviously gonna have to get in the ring and suss it out and get back in ring shape. But I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks, fingers crossed," he said.
Brody King has been competing as a singles talent while Matthews has been sidelined.
Fightful wishes Buddy the best in his recovery.
