By Andrew RavensShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberAn injured WWE star has officially made his return to the ring after a long period of absence from competition. Apollo Crews recently made a successful comeback during an untelevised portion of the AAA tapings held on Saturday. The former champion answered an open challenge from Lince Dorado and emerged victorious in his first contest back.
This contest marked Crews’ first win since he sustained a serious injury ten months ago. Crews had been sidelined after suffering a torn pectoral muscle while wrestling Johnny Gargano on the January 24 episode of SmackDown. The injury occurred after Crews took a backcracker during the match.
Despite the pain, he managed to get the win with a roll-up, favoring his shoulder for the remainder of the short match. The long layoff to recover from the torn pectoral muscle was one of the longest of Crews' career.
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The recovery process for a pectoral tear requires months of intense rehabilitation. Crews publicly spoke about the emotional and mental toll of sustaining such an injury when his career was trending upward. He made a strong statement about his mindset immediately after suffering the injury.
...Crews wrote: “A few weeks ago on SmackDown, I tore my pec—an unfortunate situation. Sometimes, you do everything right, but there are just some things beyond your control.” He added a message of resilience to his fans and the wrestling world. “I’m looking forward to the road ahead, attacking it with a positive and unstoppable mindset,” Crews finished.
Prior to this injury, Crews was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2024 WWE Draft. Unfortunately, during his time on the main roster, he had mostly been working untelevised Main Event tapings. He had also been featured in a brief tag team alongside Baron Corbin. Corbin was subsequently released by the company in November of last year.
This victory against Lince Dorado marks a major milestone in Crews’ journey back to regular competition. The former WWE Intercontinental and United States Champion has been actively training, including practicing at the esteemed Hart Dungeon facility. This hard work demonstrates his serious approach to achieving the main event potential many observers have always seen in him.
More WWE News:
- Former WWE Champion is Preparing for In-Ring Return
- Ringside Tickets for WWE PLE Reach Shocking Price
- AJ Lee Calls Out WWE Fan for Bizarre AI Video
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
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