An unfortunate situation appears to be developing for one of AEW’s most recognizable big men.
During AEW Dynamite: New Year’s Smash, Luchasaurus was seemingly written off television following a post-match angle tied to Ricochet’s successful National Championship defense. While the segment played out dramatically on screen, new information suggests the injury involved is very real.
According to Fightful Select, Luchasaurus is dealing with a legitimate shoulder injury and is expected to be sidelined for an undetermined amount of time. As of now, there’s no word on the exact nature of the injury or whether surgery will be required, but AEW officials are reportedly preparing for him to miss some action.
The warning signs appeared even before Wednesday’s Dynamite. Luchasaurus was only briefly involved during Jurassic Express’ match on the Zero Hour portion of Worlds End, where he was helped to the back by Bishop Kaun. He later returned with his shoulder heavily taped to finish the bout, raising early concerns about his condition.
On Dynamite, Luchasaurus accompanied Jack Perry to ringside for Perry’s National Championship challenge against Ricochet. After Perry came up short, Toa Liona targeted Luchasaurus at ringside, setting the stage for a more vicious attack moments later. Liona and Kaun ambushed him on the stage, with Liona placing part of the barricade onto Luchasaurus’ shoulder and smashing it with a steel chair. Even when security intervened, the damage continued, as Liona slammed one of the guards onto the barricade, crushing Luchasaurus’ arm underneath.
The angle served as a clear on-screen explanation for Luchasaurus’ absence moving forward, but behind the scenes, it appears AEW is dealing with a genuine injury concern. There’s no official timeline yet for his return, and updates will likely depend on further medical evaluation.
For now, fans may be seeing less of Jurassic Express as a unit, while AEW waits to see how serious Luchasaurus’ injury turns out to be.
