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Dustin Rhodes was lifted on the shoulders of his professional wrestling peers as he captured the vacated All Elite Wrestling (AEW) TNT Championship at All In, besting Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia and Kyle Fletcher.
But Rhodes’ reign lasted just 19 days as he dropped the title to Fletcher on July 31 and later revealed he needed double knee replacement surgery. He was also forced to vacate the Ring of Honor Six-Man and Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships.
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Dustin Rhodes enters the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling – Wrestle Dynasty at Tokyo Dome on January 5, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
As Rhodes nears the eight months since he’s been in an AEW ring, he suggested to Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview that his return is imminent.
“I’ve just had double knee replacements. So they’re brand new knees. They’re doing pretty well. It’s a bit tired today after all the walking – this is such a big venue,” he said after his dog, Beast, finished third at a UK dog show competition. “But probably two weeks, three weeks I’m back – TBS, TNT, HBO Max.”
Rhodes returns to an AEW that has been on fire since the start of the year heading into its Revolution pay-per-view.
Dustin Rhodes celebrates the AEW TNT Championship win at All In: Texas on July 12, 2025. (Ricky Havlik/AEW)
AEW has solidified itself as one of the best promotions in North America, let alone the world, due to the talent on the roster and the wrestling that goes on in the ring.
“I think it’s the fact that we’re just not all entertainment,” he told Pakinomist Digital. “We’re about wrestling, about putting on the best matches that we possibly can. It’s the alternative to WWE. I was with WWE for 24 years and I’ve been with AEW for seven now going on eight. I’m going to finish here and retire in the next couple of years. And then there’s still work behind the scenes as a producer.
“I love it. It’s great. My boss, Tony Khan, and Shad Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Fulton Football Club over here, we’re doing great. We’re growing year by year. This is here, the best wrestling. We have entertainment segments, but the majority of it is just wrestling. That’s what’s different from the WWE product.”
Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara celebrate victory during New Japan Pro-Wrestling – Wrestle Dynasty at Tokyo Dome on January 5, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
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Revolution is set to take place on March 15th at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
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