AEW rumors: Dustin Rhodes gives injury timeline

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Dustin Rhodes was lifted onto the shoulders of his pro wrestling colleagues when he won the vacated All Elite Wrestling (AEW) TNT Championship at All In, outlasting Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia and Kyle Fletcher.

But Rhodes’ reign only lasted 19 days as he dropped the title to Fletcher on July 31 and later revealed that he needed double knee replacement surgery. He was also forced to vacate the Ring of Honor Six-Man and Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships.

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Dustin Rhodes enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling – Wrestle Dynasty at Tokyo Dome on Jan. 5, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

As Rhodes nears the eight-month mark since he’s been in an AEW ring, he suggested to Fox News Digital in a recent interview that his return is close.

“I just had double knee replacements. So, they’re brand-new knees. They’re feeling pretty good. It’s a little tired today from all the walking – this is such a huge venue,” he said after his dog, Beast, finished in third place at a dog show competition in the United Kingdom. “But probably two weeks, three weeks I’ll be back – TBS, TNT, HBO Max.”

Rhodes will be returning to an AEW that’s been on fire since the start of the year and is speeding into its Revolution pay-per-view.

Dustin Rhodes celebrates the AEW TNT Championship win at All In: Texas on July 12, 2025. (Ricky Havlik/AEW)

AEW has solidified itself as one of the top promotions in North America, let alone the world, due to the talent on the roster and the wrestling that goes on in the ring.

“I think it’s the fact that we’re just not all entertainment,” he told Fox News Digital. “We are about wrestling, about putting on the best matches that we possibly can. It’s the alternative to WWE. I was with WWE for 24 years, and I’ve been with AEW for seven now, going on eight. I’m gonna finish here and retire in the next couple of years. And then there’s still work behind the scenes as a producer.

“I love it. It’s great. My boss, Tony Khan, and Shad Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulton Football Club over here, we’re doing amazing. We’re growing year by year. It’s where the best wrestle. We do have entertainment segments but the majority of it is just all wrestling. That’s what’s different than the WWE product.”

Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara celebrate victory during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling – Wrestle Dynasty at Tokyo Dome on Jan. 5, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

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Revolution is set to take place on March 15 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

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