AEW and ROH veteran Dustin Rhodes is eyeing a potential return to the ring in March 2026, roughly seven months after undergoing double knee replacement surgery this past August.
The 56-year-old “Natural” provided an optimistic update to fans on social media, noting that while he’s still dealing with lingering pain, his recovery is progressing steadily.
“They still hurt a bit, especially in the mornings,” Rhodes wrote in response to a fan asking how his knees are feeling. “I do have a good ways to go. Remember I am 56 and pushing hard, just takes time. Not young anymore. Prob March I should be ready to kill everyone lol. Maybe, I am pushing hard my man.”
Rhodes, who serves as both a wrestler and coach for AEW and ROH, remains under a long-term contract with AEW after re-signing at the end of 2024. His most recent match before surgery was a Street Fight where he lost the AEW TNT Championship to Kyle Fletcher.
The injury sidelined Rhodes from active competition and forced him to vacate both the ROH World Tag Team Championship and the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, which he held as part of The Sons of Texas.
Both championships were filled at ROH Death Before Dishonor on August 29, 2025 — with La Facción Ingobernable (Rush & Sammy Guevara) winning the Tag Titles, and Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, Carlie Bravo & Capt. Shawn Dean) capturing the Six-Man Titles.
Rhodes’ resilience and passion continue to inspire fans, and if his recovery remains on track, the wrestling legend could be lacing up his boots once again just in time for AEW’s spring schedule in 2026.
They still hurt a bit, especially in the mornings. I do have a good ways to go. Remember I am 56 and pushing hard, just takes time. Not young anymore. Prob March I should be ready to kill everyone lol. Maybe, I am pushing hard my man https://t.co/uAsiqcqtdR
— Dustin Rhodes (@dustinrhodes) November 7, 2025
