Global Wrestling Injury Report: Buddy Matthews and Aman Sehrawat Cleared for Action as Summer Returns Heat Up

The mid-summer wrestling calendar is seeing a wave of major medical clearances across both the international freestyle circuit and the professional ranks, headlined by AEW's Buddy Matthews and India's Olympic medalist Aman Sehrawat making their long-awaited returns to the mat.[1]

Matthews has officially been medically cleared after an arduous 18-month recovery from a severe ankle injury and subsequent nerve damage that threatened to permanently derail his momentum. The House of Black member sustained the injury during his entrance at AEW Grand Slam: Australia in February 2025, a freak accident that immediately altered the trajectory of his year. Despite the severe pain, he famously wrestled through the high-stakes bout against Kazuchika Okada before ultimately undergoing surgery. The rehabilitation process was heavily complicated by lingering numbness and nerve issues, pushing his return timeline back significantly and leaving fans wondering when he would step through the ropes again.[1][2]

Taking to social media, Matthews posted a cryptic confirmation of his medical upgrade: "The Devil signed the clearance. Hell stamped its approval. No more barriers. Only timing." He is slated to appear during World Series Wrestling's upcoming tour in Australia and New Zealand, paving the way for his imminent AEW television return and revitalizing the House of Black's trios prospects.[1]

On the international freestyle circuit, India's Aman Sehrawat is making his own highly anticipated comeback. The 57kg Olympic bronze medalist is headlining the Indian delegation at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos & Kozma Istvan Memorial Ranking Series in Budapest this week, marking his first major international appearance of the summer.

Sehrawat had previously made the strategic decision to skip the Ulaanbaatar Open, opting to carefully manage his physical condition and recover from minor training setbacks rather than risk further aggravation. His return to the United World Wrestling (UWW) circuit in Hungary serves as a crucial, high-stakes tune-up ahead of the Asian Games. There, he is expected to spearhead India's freestyle medal hopes alongside a robust 18-wrestler squad that includes several other returning veterans. The Budapest tournament will provide a vital litmus test for his conditioning, speed, and mat endurance against top-tier international competition before the Olympic qualification cycles intensify.

While Sehrawat returns to action, American freestyle star Sarah Hildebrandt is facing a longer road back to the mat. The Paris 2024 Olympic champion recently confirmed that severe adductor and groin tears have ended her 2026 season prematurely, forcing her to withdraw from the upcoming World Championships.[3]

Hildebrandt had briefly retired to take on a national coaching role before feeling the undeniable pull of competition, returning to the mat at the 2026 U.S. Open and moving up to the highly competitive 53kg weight class. Despite looking dominant and successfully reaching the finals, she was forced to medically forfeit after suffering a devastating injury that tore her adductor off the bone, alongside severe groin and abdominal muscle damage. Undeterred by the brutal setback, she has publicly committed to fully rehabilitating the injury with her sights set firmly on the Los Angeles 2028 Games, calling the hometown Olympics her ultimate "external goal" and embracing the grueling physical therapy required to get there.[3]

In the heavyweight professional ranks, AEW's Wardlow and WWE's Bronson Reed are both targeting late-summer returns to television. Wardlow is in the final stages of rehabilitating a torn pectoral muscle sustained at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view, recently noting in interviews that he is close to clearance and eager to re-enter the main event picture.

Meanwhile, Reed has officially resumed heavy strength training following a distal bicep tear suffered in February during a chaotic Elimination Chamber qualifying match on WWE RAW. Internal expectations and medical evaluations suggest he could be fully cleared for in-ring contact in time for a SummerSlam return. A healthy Reed would immediately inject fresh, destructive momentum into the WWE heavyweight division, providing new matchmaking possibilities for the creative team. His commitment to physical therapy has reportedly accelerated his timeline, turning what is traditionally a six-month recovery into a potential early-summer comeback.[4]

The influx of returning talent comes at a pivotal time for both sports entertainment and international freestyle. With major summer pay-per-views and the UWW World Championships looming, these medical upgrades promise to shake up the standings, title pictures, and global rankings in the coming months, reminding fans of the sheer physical resilience required to compete at the highest levels of the sport.[1][3]