Jay White is back in AEW, and he chose a marquee stage for his long-awaited return.
Switchblade made his comeback at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on Sunday at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, inserting himself into the AEW World Tag Team Championship match between champions Adam Copeland and Christian Cage and challengers David Finlay and Clark Connors. Copeland and Cage retained their titles, with White’s return helping ensure that The Dogs did not leave with the gold.
The appearance marked the end of a lengthy absence for White, who had been on the shelf for an extended period. He suffered a broken hand during a match against Kevin Knight on AEW Collision in 2025, and AEW subsequently wrote him off television by way of a Death Riders attack.
The injury also had significant consequences behind the scenes. White was pulled from the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, and his absence reportedly wiped out major plans the company had in store for him. According to reports that surfaced in December, AEW had originally lined White up for a major heel turn, with the plan calling for him to join Jon Moxley’s Death Riders at AEW Dynasty and cost Swerve Strickland in the AEW World Title match. Once White was injured, that idea was scrapped, and The Young Bucks ultimately filled the role instead.
White’s situation only grew more complicated from there. His broken hand required surgery, and a shoulder issue kept him out of action far longer than initially anticipated. By the time Forbidden Door rolled around, fans had been waiting a long time to see Switchblade back on AEW programming.