Injury Update On AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio Castagnoli remains on the sidelines in AEW, with the former ROH World Champion confirming that he has not yet received medical clearance to return to the ring.

The AEW star provided an update on his status while attending the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, where he spoke with Paul Delos Santos of The Load-In about his interest in competitive gaming and how his current absence from wrestling allowed him to attend the event.

“It’s been great. Not medically clear right now, so I was just sitting around at home. So they asked me if I wanted to come here to see Worlds and I’m like, ‘Yeah, definitely 100%. I’ll be there,’” Castagnoli said.

The Death Riders member went on to discuss the similarities he sees between professional wrestling audiences and the passionate fanbase surrounding competitive gaming.

“So what impressed me, and I had the chance to go to China for LPL a few years ago, and then here again, it’s the passion of the fans,” he continued. “It’s the passion of the fans for their team, for the game, and how they show it. It’s very similar to pro wrestling. They have signs, they come early, they dress up their jerseys, they show their passion and they’re proud.”

Castagnoli was last involved in a physical angle on the October 28 episode of AEW Dynamite, when he attempted to assist Jon Moxley and Daniel Garcia during their tag team match against The Cut.

During the segment, Castagnoli was attacked by David Finlay and Jay White, with the assault resulting in him being stretchered out of the arena.

While the storyline attack provided an explanation for his absence from AEW programming, the specific nature of Castagnoli’s medical issue has not been publicly disclosed.

There is also no confirmed timetable for his return to in-ring competition.