Absent AEW Star Addresses When They’ll Return to the Ring

AEW’s roster has been plagued by injuries over the last six months to a year that has sidelined many of its top stars. Kenny Omega has been absent since December with diverticulitis which he just recently underwent surgery for while Adam Cole is still rehabbing his injured ankle that he hurt in a freak accident on his way to the ring. Former AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter, has been absent for the last year since her title loss to Toni Storm at Double or Nothing. 

One name that’s been shelved for the last year not due to injury is Tay Melo. She wrestled her last match last March but her last AEW match took place in January of 2023. She announced her pregnancy shortly afterward at Double or Nothing during Guevara’s match against MJF, Jack Perry and Darby Allin. In November she and Sammy Guevara welcomed their first child together.

Melo has recently begun teasing a return to the ring with videos and photos of herself training. This has led many to wondering when exactly Melo will be ready to get back into the ring, especially with all the new opportunities in the women’s division. However, don’t get your hopes up just yet because according to Melo, there are “a couple more months” until she’s cleared. With summer just around the corner, this provides ample opportunities for Melo’s return. AEW All In will return to London in August but AEW All Out will come just two weeks later.

Melo first debuted in AEW back in 2020 making her one of the AEW originals of the women’s division. During her AEW run, she has had a pretty solid singles career but some of her best work has been in the “TayJay” tag team with Anna Jay. One of the standout matches of her career took place in December of 2021 on Rampage when Melo and Jay went up against The Bunny and Penelope Ford in a street fight. At the time, it pushed the limits of what was considered “taboo” in women’s wrestling, seeing them bleed everywhere and use ultra violence. That match led to at least one street fight match a year for the women, which just so happened to be Melo’s last match before maternity leave. Although she has yet to win a title in AEW, she is a former AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion with Guevara, holding the championships for eight months.