AEW star is taking things slowly ahead of return

AEW fans haven't seen Switchblade Jay White since his loss to Hangman Adam Page on the July 6 edition of Collision. The former New Japan Pro Wrestling standout has been recovering from a foot injury, which has kept him off television and out of creative plans for over three months.

During a recent interview with Comicbook.com, White's Bullet Club Gold stablemate Juice Robinson provided an update on his recovery.

"Jay's taking his time," Robinson said. "Sometimes you got to take time in this business and come back better, and that's what he's doing. So of course, we're excited for him to come back, because when all four of us are together, we feel like we are as strong as we can be, and we could take on any four wrestlers, any combination. We're definitely, like everybody, looking forward to having King Switch back."

White joined AEW in April 2023. Despite the fan base's high hopes, he has yet to prove himself as a top-tier member of the roster. Instead, White has found himself mired in mid-card mediocrity despite initially being billed as a headline-level talent upon his arrival. 

Taking an extended break to recover from his injury setback could be smart. White is letting his momentum within the company and with the fans reset. That way, he can reinvent himself once he returns, perhaps becoming more aggressive or even making a baby face turn to get more fans on his side. 

AEW's roster is deep and talented. White's absence hasn't been felt too heavily. He's part of a long injury list that also includes Eddie Kingston, Adam Cole, Adam Copeland and Kenny Omega, all of whom are elite talents at the top end of the roster when healthy. 

Tony Khan should also take this time to ensure White's return positions him for a strong run, especially in getting the fan base invested. His angle with The Gunns and Robinson is fun, but it won't turn him into a star. 

This injury layoff could be the best thing for White, assuming both he and AEW play it smart. For now, though, AEW programming will continue without him in the rotation. The only hope is that he doesn't get lost in the shuffle and left behind by the current talent and the fan base's overall interest in the company's recent direction.