Powerhouse Hobbs appeared in a pre-taped segment on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, announcing that he wasn’t cleared to travel for the show. This came just days after his brawl with Big Bill on Collision.
During the segment, Hobbs boasted about taking the big man to hell and made it clear that their feud was far from over, stating that “hell was just the beginning.” However, despite his absence from the live broadcast, Hobbs was actually in attendance for the show.
According to Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp, Hobbs was not medically cleared for in-ring action on Wednesday night, which led to the decision to air a pre-taped segment instead. While Hobbs was present at the venue and willing to perform, the report states that he had stitches that had not yet fully healed. He was reportedly advised to take an additional week before being cleared for competition.
The report also noted that Hobbs was originally planned to play a major role on both Dynamite and Collision. As a result, his absence caused a ripple effect, leading to multiple changes in AEW’s programming this week. AEW is taping Saturday’s Collision immediately after Dynamite.