The Thanksgiving season tradition of AEW Full Gear is just around the corner, emanating from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on November 22.
Speculation has been running wild on who might show up at one of AEW’s biggest shows of the year.
Besides rumoured debuts and special cameos, the long list of injured stars that AEW unfortunately had might open the door for even more potential surprises.
On top of that, the premise of the AEW National Championship Casino Gauntlet Match opens up endless possibilities.
Let’s have a look at who might be in the books for a return at Full Gear.
5. Colten Gunn
Colten Gunn suffered a knee injury in July and has been recovering ever since. In his absence his Bang Bang Gang stablemates Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson have been holding the fort ever since.
The severity of Colten’s knee injury is unknown, so there is a chance he could re-emerge to join brother Austin and Juice Robinson back in AEW before the end of the year.
With Austin and Juice in action during the Tailgate Brawl, the Bang Bang Gang could be closer to 100%, or close to it by the end of the night…
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4. Jay White
Back in March, Jay White broke his hand during a match with Kevin Knight, with the New Zealand star also dealing with a shoulder injury.
That is a full eight months without the Switchblade and the leader of the Bang Bang Gang. AEW is in desperate need of characters like him to return back to full action.
With Jay White returning, we can finally have a bunch of dream matches and feuds we have been waiting for, for example, the long-awaited Kenny Omega/Jay White clash.
The Bang Bang Gang haven’t been at full strength for a long time now, so hopefully we see the group’s fortunes turn around in 2026.
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3. Wardlow
Wardlow has been off AEW TV since he suffered a torn pectoral muscle while making his return from another injury in September.
Usually, this injury keeps one out of action for about half a year, although things might be different with Wardlow. While his Don Callis Family stablemate Brian Cage recently updated everyone that he will still be out for quite some time, things have been rather quiet around Wardlow.
Even when Don Callis revealed a painting of the entire family on AEW program, Wardlow was missing while other injured members were on display.
Potentially, Wardlow is ready to return completely out of nowhere relatively soon, even if he’s not immediately cleared to compete it’d be nice to get some visual confirmation that he is still factored into Don Callis’ plans.
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2. Kota Ibushi
Kota Ibushi suffered a broken thigh bone after a gruesome fall during his match against Josh Alexander in October 2025.
Obviously, you are gonna ask how on earth can Kota Ibushi be back so quickly then?
Well, who said an Ibushi return means he has to get physically involved?
Whether in a wheelchair or crutches, Ibushi could make an appearance and provide some crucial interference that helps Omega and Jurassic Express get the win at Full Gear.
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1. Adam Cole
Whether we will see Adam Cole back in the ring or not is currently up in the air.
After his emotional speech at AEW All In Texas earlier this year, Tony Khan provided an unfortunate update on Cole’s condition during Ariel Helwani’s podcast.
Sadly, things do not seem optimal for Cole at this time. But there’s undoubtedly more roles for Cole on AEW TV than just competing as an active member of the roster.
In wrestling, they say nothing is ever impossible and never say never. So maybe Cole will wrestle again, but it’d be nice to at least see him back on TV as a commentator or even manager to Kyle O’Reilly at AEW Full Gear.
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