AEW has been seeing a lot of changes to its roster that is unprecedented for the company. However, a former AEW Champion is re-signing with All Elite Wrestling, according to Ibou of WrestlePurists. He is reporting that Buddy Matthews, one-third of the House of Black trio, has signed an extension to remain part of AEW for the foreseeable future. However, details around the contract have not been released or reported on as of this writing.
He has not appeared in a match since the June 15, 2024 edition of AEW Collision where the House of Black (Buddy Matthews, Malakai Black & Brody King) defeated the Bang Bang Gang (Austin Gunn, Colten Gunn & Juice Robinson) in a six-man tag team match. Matthews has competed for singles AEW championship gold as his last singles match was on the May 1, 2024 episode of AEW Dynamite, where he lost against Adam Copeland for the AEW TNT Championship.
Matthews originally signed to the company in February 2022, but his future was questioned after reportedly wanting to go back to WWE, despite the AEW champion never leaving. He was able to hold onto the AEW World Trios Championship for 175 days in 2023 but has not won any titles since.
What does a former AEW champion in Buddy Matthews re-signing mean for AEW?
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Having a former AEW champion like Buddy Matthews continue with the company means a lot for the future. One thing is that the House of Black can continue as a trios team and continue to be a driving force on AEW Collision. Another is that with the extension, Buddy Matthews can be used more favorably in competing for singles championships as well as he can be part of different stories as a singles wrestler as well.
Just because he is part of the House of Black does not mean he needs to be only in trios matches. Buddy Matthews has showcased the ability to be one of the best wrestlers in the world as a singles wrestler and being part of the group means he will not get lost in the shuffle. However, with tournaments like the Owen Cup and the Continental Classic, the former AEW champion could thrive in those situations.
While he has not been built up to be the AEW Champion, he can compete for the AEW International Championship and potentially be the one to de-throne MJF. This means a lot, especially as the injury bug continues to plague the company.
