Popular AEW star, who hasn't wrestled in 10 months, finally gives a major update on his return
AEW has been beefing up its roster with several notable additions, along with the returns of some of its top stars. Fans haven't seen Ortiz since January, but it seems that he might be close to a comeback as well.
Ortiz was one of AEW's breakout stars during the company's early days. Chris Jericho recruited him and his tag team partner, Mike Santana, as members of The Inner Circle, and they went on to become staples of the young promotion's tag team division.
Santana and Ortiz broke up last year, with the former claiming that he was ready to strike out on his own. The 33-year-old also joined the singles division, but a pec injury in January this year put him out of action, and fans haven't seen him since.
The former Proud & Powerful member made an appearance on the latest edition of Isiah Kassidy's vlog, where he provided an update on his status. Ortiz claimed that he's not 100% yet, but he's getting back to where he needs to be:
"I'm not quite back yet, but I'm right there," Ortiz said. "I'm stronger, faster, but less flexible." [H/T Fightful]
AEW's Eddie Kingston has also been out of action
Ortiz shared a special bond with Santana, but it seems both men have moved on now, with the latter having departed AEW earlier this year. But that doesn't mean Ortiz is without allies, as he remains good friends with Eddie Kingston.
Unfortunately, Kingston is also out of action at the moment. The Mad King won last year's Continental Classic Tournament, but a leg injury in May 2024 put him on the shelf.
Many fans hope to see Ortiz and Kingston team up once again when they return to the ring, but Eddie seems to be still working on rehabbing his injury. He took to Instagram last month to post a quick update, showing himself in a knee brace.
It doesn't look like Kingston will be able to repeat his Cinderella story in this year's Continental Classic tournament, which is fast approaching. It remains to be seen if he and Ortiz can reconnect once they're both cleared to wrestle.