Report: Keith Lee Believed To Have Retired From Pro-Wrestling

It’s been two and a half years since we last saw Keith Lee in an AEW ring, with reports suggesting Lee has quietly retired from active competition.

The former All Elite Wrestling World Tag Team Champion last appeared on AEW TV in December 2023, and was subsequently pulled from a scheduled match at the Worlds End 2023 pay per view with former partner Swerve Strickland with hours to spare.

A report from Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observe Live states that many in the industry believe Lee to be retired, with Alvarez noting the following:

“Everyone has been asking what’s going on with Keith Lee. Is he ever coming back to AEW, and are we ever going to get that match with Swerve [Strickland]? Well, all I can tell you is that, you know, this has been discussed within the business, obviously with this news coming out as well [Lee and Mia Yim no longer being a couple]. There’s been a lot of talk about Keith Lee over the last couple of days,” Alvarez said. “I’m not saying this 100 percent, okay? I’m not saying this 100 percent because I don’t know. But, from talking to people, the belief within the business is that Keith Lee is done. And we’re not talking like, you know, when he’s done with AEW, if that ever happens, he’ll go elsewhere - it is believed that he is likely just retired.”

Lee has faced numerous undisclosed health issues in the past several years, with the former NXT Champion undergoing double surgery in 2024. Lee himself indicated he was healthy in Summer 2025, and despite reported discussions in early 2026 within AEW about bringing Lee back a return has thus far failed to materialise.

H/T: F4WOnline