2-time WWE champion to return after 417 days and answer Max Caster's Open Challenge? Exploring the possibility

Former WWE Superstar Keith Lee could return to AEW this week on Dynamite. Lee is a one-time NXT Champion and a one-time NXT North American Champion. The 40-year-old has been away from the Jacksonville-based promotion due to injury-related issues for more than a year.

Max Caster broke up with his tag team partner Anthony Bowens on the January 18 edition of Collision. Since then, he's been on a quest to prove himself as a singles wrestler. On the February 1 edition of Collision, he issued an open challenge, which Lio Rush answered. Unfortunately, he couldn't prove himself as Rush defeated him in just over one minute.

AEW recently announced that Max Caster would issue another open challenge on the company's flagship show, Dynamite, this week. Absent star Keith Lee could make his return to the Jacksonville-based company after 417 days, answer the open challenge, and squash the self-proclaimed Best Wrestler Alive.

The 40-year-old star was reportedly backstage during last week's Dynamite. His last match took place on the December 23, 2023, edition of Collision, where he defeated Brian Cage in a singles match. Last year, the former WWE Superstar underwent surgery twice for an undisclosed injury.

That said, the angle is speculative at this point.

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Former WWE star Keith Lee recently posted on social media amid his lengthy absence from AEW

Keith Lee hasn't been a regular on social media during his AEW hiatus. The Bearcat last posted in December last year when he shared a motivational post on X, encouraging fans to stay strong for 2025.

On February 10, 2025, the former WWE Superstar logged onto his X account to comment on popular musician Kendrick Lamar's song," Reincarnated!" The former AEW World Tag Team Champion asked fans whether they understood the song.

"Sometimes.... I sit back and wonder if people *actually* understand Kendrick Lamar's 'Reincarnated,' or if they are just jamming," Lee wrote.

Keith Lee has kept a very low profile during his hiatus from the squared circle. But he was recently seen celebrating New Year's Eve with his wife, WWE star Michin, and his dog. It will be interesting to see if he returns to in-ring duties in the coming days.