A former NXT Superstar has made a surprise return to the ring at the latest round of AEW Dark tapings.
This post contains spoilers regarding the latest set of AEW Dark tapings which took place on December 28th in Jacksonville, Florida.
A former NXT Superstar will be appearing on AEW Dark in the very near future. The young star had previously stated that they would be stepping away from the ring, but they have now completed an unexpected return to the squared circle.
At the tapings, Jake Atlas made his AEW debut defeating Serpentico. After the match, Atlas was pictured at the top of the ramp shaking hands with AEW President Tony Khan.
Oh he's getting signed the second he walks back through the curtain after his match https://t.co/DV0gjNyPYB
— Toru Yano Fan Account (@ToruYanoFanAcct) December 29, 2021
Jake Atlas joined WWE in 2018, signing a deal with the company a year later. He went on to appear on both NXT and 205 live before being released on August 6th 2021.
Atlas last appeared at ROH Death Before Dishonor where he was defeated by Tyler Rust. It appeared that the match ended abruptly, causing some speculation that Atlas may have been concussed or injured.
Posting on social media after the show, Atlas explained that he wasn’t injured, but he was stepping away from professional wrestling. In the statement, the former NXT Superstar urged others to take their mental health seriously.
“I’m not concussed or “banged up.” I simply just can’t keep going anymore. Take your mental health seriously, both for yourselves & for each other, because we only have one life to live. Thank you to anyone who did support me for 5 years. I didn’t do much, but what I did was fun.
I’m stepping away from wrestling completely right now so please don’t ask me to do interviews/appearances. I’d like my privacy to be respected. At 26 years old, I’ve got my entire life ahead of me & I’m choosing to explore completely different industries to find my passion again.
Unfortunately, it was unhealthy for me the entire time. I just learned how to hide it really well. I hope that friends & fans I’ve made alike continue to support me no matter what.
I have major anxiety just having done that, please be sensitive. Thank you.”
Atlas has been open about his metal health struggles since leaving WWE, praising the company for saving his life. The California native revealed that during his time with WWE, they had paid for him to attend therapy for six months.