Keith Lee to return as a heel and attack 2-time champion at AEW Dynasty? Exploring the possibility

Keith Lee has been away from AEW TV since December 2023. But he might return soon and attack two-time champion Swerve Strickland at Dynasty.

The Realest defeated Ricochet at the 2025 AEW Revolution pay-per-view on March 9. In the process, he earned a shot at the World Championship. He would challenge either Cope or Jon Moxley for the title at the Dynasty pay-per-view on April 6, 2025, at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 40-year-old star has been absent for over a year because he had to undergo two knee surgeries. AEW hasn't announced his return date yet, but he was reportedly present backstage on a recent edition of Dynamite. This could mean that he will make a comeback soon. Lee also posted an update on X/Twitter during this week's edition of the Wednesday night program.

Before the Texas native went on hiatus, he was supposed to face Swerve Strickland at Worlds End. But the match couldn't happen due to Lee's health issues. The two stars have unfinished business, and AEW could rekindle their feud at Dynasty. The Limitless One could either interfere in The New Flavor's World Title match at Dynasty or attack him after the contest, turning heel in the process.

Strickland is a former World Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion. He is currently among the top names in the men's division. Hence, Lee could benefit from working with The Realest upon his potential return.

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Potential update on Keith Lee's AEW contract status

Keith Lee's prolonged absence has made fans wonder about his AEW contract status. Ibou of Self Made PW recently reported that The Limitless One's deal was set to expire soon. But the Tony Khan-led company could extend his contract by adding injury time, which might be close to 14 months.

"If injury time isn’t added, I’m pretty sure Keith Lee’s deal is up," Ibou reported.

Lee joined AEW in 2022. On February 9, 2022, he debuted on AEW Dynamite, beating Isiah Kassidy to enter the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match at Revolution. He has held the World Tag Team Title with Strickland in the past.