Wesley Blake stepped back into the ring for the first time in three years on Tuesday, competing in a dark match before the NXT television tapings at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
Blake faced Kale Dixon in the non-televised segment, with Dixon spending the lead-up to the bout taunting the former NXT Tag Team Champion.
The appearance marked Blake’s first match since 2023, when he teamed with Steve Maclin at a West Coast Pro event.
Since returning to WWE in April 2024, Blake has worked behind the scenes as an NXT producer and coach at the Performance Center, rather than as an active competitor.
Tuesday’s bout also represented his first match inside a WWE ring in more than five years. Blake was released by the company on April 15, 2021, after previously appearing on SmackDown as part of The Forgotten Sons alongside Steve Cutler (now Steve Maclin) and Jaxson Ryker.
Prior to that run, Blake found success in NXT as one half of a tag team with Buddy Murphy (now Buddy Matthews in AEW). Managed by Alexa Bliss, the duo captured the NXT Tag Team Championship during the black-and-gold era.
Before signing with WWE in 2013, Blake competed on the Florida independent scene, most notably for Dory Funk Jr.’s Funking Conservatory, where he developed under the guidance of the legendary former NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
At this time, WWE has not announced whether Blake will wrestle again. Dark matches before NXT television tapings are a regular occurrence and are used for a variety of purposes, but they are not broadcast as part of the weekly show.
Lep106317 on Reddit shared Wesley Blake was back in action pic.twitter.com/bteUCOhcHj
— Andrew Ravens (@Andrew_Ravens) August 5, 2026
