It appears the return of “Freshly Squeezed” Orange Cassidy to AEW is imminent. During a backstage segment at the AEW All Out pay-per-view, a major tease suggested that Cassidy is ready to come back after a lengthy absence due to injury. The former AEW International Champion has been sidelined since March, but a cryptic exchange involving the Conglomeration faction has fans dpeculating that his return could happen at any moment. The tease aligns with previous reports from this past August that indicated he was healing up and would be back “sooner than later”.
The segment at All Out featured Mark Briscoe discussing his continued issues with the Don Callis Family. Briscoe then challenged Callis to pick three of his “goons” to face himself, Hologram, and a new third member of The Conglomeration. He turned to Kyle O’Reilly, who was on the phone, and asked if their mystery partner was ready to come back, to which O’Reilly simply replied, “He said, ‘Whatever.’” The group then all gave the signature, nonchalant thumbs-up gesture, seemingly confirming him as their new ally.
Cassidy has been out of action for over five months after sustaining what was suspected to be a torn labrum back in March, an injury that required shoulder surgery. A report from Fightful Select in August noted that Cassidy was “on the mend” and was not expected to be out for the remainder of the year, barring any setbacks. He has also been backstage at recent AEW events while recovering from his operation.
Before his injury, Orange Cassidy was one of AEW’s most popular and reliable performers, largely due to his historic reign as the AEW International Champion. He held the title for 326 days and set a company record with 31 successful title defenses.