AEW wrestler Dustin Rhodes has been sidelined due to a knee injury, leading to his replacement in a significant Ring of Honor (ROH) championship match. Rhodes, who held both the ROH World Tag Team and Six-Man Tag Team Championships, underwent knee surgery last week after a particularly intense match against Kyle Fletcher on AEW Collision. As a result, Sammy Guevara has been named as a new partner for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team title defense at the upcoming Death Before Dishonor event.
The change means that Sammy Guevara will team with The Von Erichs to defend the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship against Shane Taylor Promotion. AEW President Tony Khan announced this update on social media, confirming Sammy Guevara’s role in place of Rhodes, also known as The Natural, whose future title defenses remain uncertain.
Tony Khan‘s Public Announcement about the New Tag Team Lineup
On X, Tony Khan shared the official notification regarding the change in the title match lineup for Death Before Dishonor. He emphasized the impact of Dustin Rhodes’ injury and introduced Sammy Guevara as the substitute partner for The Von Erichs.
“#ROHDBD Philadelphia 8pm ET/7pm CT http://WATCHROH.com TOMORROW ROH World Six Man Tag Team Title @sammyguevara / @MarshallVonEric / @RossVonErich vs @shane216taylor / @ShawnDean773 / @CarlieBravo With @dustinrhodes hurt, Sammy will join the Von Erichs vs STP for the belts TOMORROW!”
—Tony Khan, AEW President
Dustin Rhodes Reflects on His Physical Challenges and Career Longevity
Despite his injury and advancing age of 56, Dustin Rhodes continues to compete at a high level, often delivering classic performances. Rhodes recently took to X to discuss the physical toll wrestling has taken on him, including significant meniscus damage in both knees. He emphasized that his dedication and love for professional wrestling drive him to keep competing, even as retirement approaches.
“My meniscus is non existent in both lol. It’s work ethic and love that pushes me through. Its people telling me to retire that pushes me even more! I am still, at 56, one of the greatest professional wrestlers in the world. Age [is] just a number. Sometimes you have to manifest s**t and get it done. I absolutely know my time is nearing the end but NOT YET!”
—Dustin Rhodes, AEW Wrestler
Fans will be watching closely to see when Dustin Rhodes will return to AEW programming and how the tag team titles will be defended moving forward. The substitution by Sammy Guevara reflects the challenges AEW faces when managing injuries while maintaining ROH championship storylines.
