Matt Sydal says coming back from an injury has motivated him, as he knows he doesn’t have a long career left.
Sydal, a veteran who has competed for WWE, ROH, TNA, and other promotions, is currently signed to AEW, but he also competes at some shows on the independent scene. He was forced to miss a few months of in-ring action when he hurt his knee at a Prime Time Wrestling show in February.
In an interview with Steve Fall for WrestlingNewsCo, Sydal discussed his previous experience with PTW and noted that while he enjoyed it, he hurt his knee during the match. He stated that his road back to the ring was a long one, but he’s glad to be back in action.
“Everything was great last time, except for as I was winning my match against Starboy Nano, as I was pinning him, I leaned back, and my knee was folded under my body. I just heard this horrible pop. This was back in February, and I had to sit out of the ring for about three months, and it’s been a long journey, a lot of recovery, a life of rehabilitation work. So I am really excited to come back and reconquer PTW.”
When asked about AEW President Tony Khan’s reaction to him getting hurt at a non-AEW show, Sydal emphasized that Khan is very encouraging and supportive. He admitted that the injury was a setback, but it motivated him to make the most out of each and every match upon his return. Sydal then shared his belief that he’s putting out his best work right now.
“When Tony Khan found out what my injury was, he jumped up and hugged me because we didn’t need surgery,” Sydal said. “He’s as supportive as you could be, as encouraging as you could be. I mean, it was a setback. Everybody felt it, like taking the air out of a balloon when that happened.
“I feel like I have injuries haunting me left and right, but this time, it just made me more focused on coming back, made me more angry, just lit that fire under me because I don’t have all the time in the world. I don’t have a huge career in front of me. I have 22 years behind me. But everything that’s left, every match that’s left, is gonna be the best match of my life because I’m at my best right now, and I’m putting out my best work.”
Sydal recently returned to PTW and lost to Samuray del Sol at their event on November 26.
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