Tay Melo and AEW in 2025: What’s Next?

Tay Melo made her explosive return to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on the June 4 AEW Fyter Fest special. The four-hour event featured moments like Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada having a fifth match in their historic singles rivalry, Thekla’s in-ring debut, and Mercedes Mone had a well-done steak as she watched a tag team match.

As Anna Jay suffered an off-camera beatdown at the hands of Penelope Ford and the towering Megan Bayne, Tay Melo’s theme played, and her name appeared on the screen by the entrance ramp. With vibrant face paint adorning her eyes, Melo warded off the pair to make the rescue for her old friend. So much has changed since the 2 years she’s been out.

Where Has Tay Melo Been?

Melo last appeared on the January 11, 2023 episode of AEW Rampage alongside Jay in a losing effort to Ruby Soho and Willow Nightingale. In a grueling street fight match, the women indulged in plunder and chaos, with Melo and Jay enjoying a previous win over their opponents the prior December.

Following the street fight, news circulated soon after that Melo would take some time off due to a back injury. That wouldn’t take too long, would it? In another timeline, maybe.

But in a surprise reveal, Melo and her husband, Sammy Guevara, announced they were expecting a child. AEW granted the pair a sabbatical, and the couple took that time to their advantage.

In November 2023, Melo gave birth to their daughter, Luna. She would miss out on another year to be present in raising her baby, and I applaud her for prioritizing her new family. That’s the time you don’t get back.

With her life seemingly lined up to provide a return to her career, Melo jumped at the chance.

So Much Has Changed During Tay Melo’s Hiatus

Melo’s last match in 2023 on AEW Rampage, featuring Ruby Soho, is enough of an indicator of the time since her time away. Rampage was discontinued as of December 2024.

Soho has been out of action due to her own pregnancy and child-rearing with Angelo Parker. Kenny Omega took a year off from wrestling due to diverticulitis. CM Punk had yet to be fired with cause after All In 2023.

In those two years, Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Taylor Swift’s Eras tour took place. Nosferatu, Deadpool & Wolverine, Barbie, and Oppenheimer filled theater seats. Kendrick Lamar and Drake had their public and entertaining rap beef.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII and the San Francisco 49ers at Super Bowl LVIII. The Eagles would then end the Chiefs’ two-year winning streak.

Tay Melo re-enters AEW’s women’s division with a different climate. Jamie Hayter is no longer a blonde, muscular wrestler, but an auburn and 1970s-themed wrestler with just as much heart. Mercedes Mone joined the roster.

Toni Storm became “Timeless.” Japan’s World Wonder Ring Stardom has integrated its women wrestlers into AEW action. AAA has been removed from AEW’s list of partners, and in its place is CMLL.

Previously, Melo and Guevara were the AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champions, so it’ll be interesting to see how she’d work off of CMLL.

It’s not like Melo hasn’t been out of pro wrestling. While Guevara returned earlier, teaming with the likes of Dustin Rhodes and the Von Erichs, Melo returned in Stardom.

At New Year Dream, she joined forces with eventual AEW talent Mina Shirakawa to face ROH’s Athena and Thekla, who also joined AEW. It’s not like she’s been slouching during her time away—she’s kept busy as best she could.

How Will Tay Melo Fare in 2025 AEW?

Dozens upon dozens of changes in AEW greet Melo as she steps back into elite wrestling. Keeping in tune with the business, dipping her toes in, and ensuring her family is in a comfortable place has brought her to the right time for a return. This isn’t the same AEW she walked into.

Picking up where she left off with partner Anna Jay poses some future developments. For instance, Penelope Ford and Megan.

Jay can’t face these women alone, so who better than an old friend? From the Jericho Appreciation Society to surviving the Megasus, surely all will be well.

But could jealousy arise in either Melo or Cameron? It’s easy to view allying with someone else as a replacement and to mistake that as rejection.

Could that tear these friendships apart or bring them together? This may be me coping, but I hope for the latter, for a Women’s Trios Championship somewhere down the line.

Whatever the future has in store for Tay Melo, she’ll work hard to get it. She improved in the year before her hiatus, and she’ll rise above again.