The quiet return of a high-flying technician
If you were watching AEW Collision and thought you were having some sort of fever dream, you weren't. Matt Sydal finally crawled out of the injury reserve list after a brutal two-year hiatus. His foot surgery kept him sidelined longer than some of these new talent contracts last, but he stepped back into the ring on June 20.
Seeing Sydal back in the mix is the kind of jolt the mid-card has been thirsting for. While the main event scene gets all the screen time, the undercard has felt like a rudderless ship. Whether he is running back old feuds or elevating fresh blood, Sydal brings a level of technical polish that you just cannot manufacture. He operates with a smoothness that makes a 450 splash look like a light breeze rather than a finishing maneuver.
Missing time is a career killer in 2026
Let's keep it real: two years is an eternity in this industry. When you step away in 2024, you return to a completely different set of rivals and a fan base that has likely moved on to the next shiny object. Sydal is playing catch-up, and the internal clock on his prime years is ticking louder than ever.
The recovery process for that foot injury was clearly grueling, as reported by Wrestling Inc. We have seen plenty of guys try to make a comeback after a layoff, only to look like they are working in sand. Sydal has to prove he can still hit his timing on the jump kicks and the nerve-shredding aerial spots that defined his indie run.
The booking challenge ahead
The biggest hurdle isn't the foot anymore; it is the booking. AEW has a roster deeper than the Mariana Trench, and it is remarkably easy to get swallowed up by the mid-card shuffle. A guy like Sydal deserves better than being a Tuesday night hand who eats pins for the next breakout star.
If they throw him straight into a six-man tag to fill time, that is a massive missed opportunity. Put him in a program where he actually has to hunt for a title, or let him play the gatekeeper for the younger talent who haven't quite figured out how to work a technical clinic yet. The man has wrestled everyone from AJ Styles to PAC, so there is no excuse for him to be aimless.
The reality check
Is his arrival going to move the television ratings needle by itself? Probably not. The casual viewer tuned in for the big names, and Sydal is more of a wrestler's wrestler than a household name who sells massive merch bundles.
If the creative team tries to force him into a gimmick that doesn't fit his natural gear, this whole experiment dies on the vine. We saw the wild energy in AAA recently, proving that character work reigns supreme. Sydal’s best version is the focused, no-nonsense veteran who will break your arm if you get too cocky. Keep the goofy stuff to a minimum. Let him be the guy who reminds the roster that moves should actually look like they hurt.
It is definitely heart-warming to see the veteran get back to work. But in this line of work, sentimentality doesn't get you a title shot at the 100th episode of a show. He has to capitalize on his first three matches or he risks becoming just another body on the roster sheet. Let’s hope he hasn't lost that step.
