A massive AEW star has been out of action for a while now. He has just provided an update about his in-ring status.The Blade was a prominent feature during the early days of AEW. He formed a faction with The Butcher and Bunny. Together, they were menacing in the ring. He has even competed in ROH over the years. Sadly, his career came to a screeching halt last year when he suffered a back injury. He even underwent spinal fusion surgery in September 2024 and is on the road to recovery.During a recent interview on the Talk'N Shop podcast, The Blade revealed that it's been about a year since he had spinal fusion surgery, but he is close to getting cleared again."I had a back fusion, spinal fusion, on September 10th, 2024. So, it’s been about a year now, and I’m getting close to going back to the doctors, getting cleared, the whole thing."When asked if he was scared to take a back bump, the ROH star replied that he was. But the scary stuff is over, and he is ready to return to the ring."Yeah, the thought of like—you know, I haven’t been in… doctors don’t want me in a ring, so like it’s been over a year. Yeah. It’s crazy. I mean, I’ve been wrestling 25 years and to not be in a ring for over a year now. But now it’s to the point where I’m excited. Like the scary stuff is over and now it’s just get excited,” said The Blade.AEW Star The Blade Explained the Extent of His InjuryBack Injuries are quite serious, especially for a professional wrestler, since their entire career revolves around taking bumps on their back. They can also be career-ending. Even Shawn Michaels once suffered a serious back injury that nearly ended his career. Luckily, this wasn't the case with The Blade.During the same podcast episode, the AEW star said that surgery was his last option after trying various treatment methods. He also said that the issue was with his L5-S1, which is the very last vertebrae and a major one.“Yeah, ‘cause with back stuff, surgery is the last option. So they’ll do physical therapy, they’ll give you a round of shots. They tried a whole bunch of different stuff, but it just got… it just got. Yeah, it’s my L5-S1, which is the very last vertebrae, but that’s like the… when people get back [injuries], that’s usually the major one. Yes, it’s the bottom. So, they fused that one. I mean, you know, there were definitely some highs and lows that year where you don’t know what’s going to happen, but it feels really good that now it’s—that’s at the excitement,” said The Blade.It looks like it is only a matter of time before The Blade returns AEW.If you use the quote from this article, then link back to the source with an H/T to Sportskeeda.