Keith Lee off AEW Worlds End due to injury (UPDATED)

AEW’s booking of Keith Lee has been the subject of much speculation. Recently, he’s been back on television and in action as the company’s built toward a match with his former tag partner Swerve Strickland — a match that’s been expected since Strickland turned on Lee a year ago.

With their match scheduled for Worlds End tonight (Dec. 30), Lee posted a message to fans on X which sheds some light on what’s been going on with him behind the scenes:

Today… I keep it very real with you guys.

I have been working through an injury since Arthur Ashe Stadium 2022. It has been mostly well taken care of.

Things have been worse since Final Battle. I am trying to get through today for you guys, but I cannot promise anything.

“Arthur Ashe Stadium 2022” was last year’s Grand Slam, where Lee & Strickland lost the AEW Tag titles to The Acclaimed on Sept. 21. Keith didn’t wrestle in January or February of this year, but otherwise has worked at least one match per month since last fall.

The 39 year old defeated Shane Taylor at Ring of Honor’s Final Battle PPV on Dec. 15. He’s wrestled once since, beating Brian Cage on last Saturday’s episode of Collision.

Here’s hoping he ends tonight no worse than he enters it, even if that means a modified match — or no match at all.

UPDATE: It turns out Lee won’t wrestle. Tony Khan’s tweeted that doctors could not clear him, so he’ll be replaced by Dustin Rhodes.

Read more