A WWE NXT Superstar made his long-awaited return to the squared circle at the latest NXT non-televised live event in “The Sunshine State.”
During the WWE NXT house show at the Bartow Armory in Bartow, Florida on Friday night, November 21, 2025, Malik Blade competed in his first singles match inside of a WWE NXT ring for the first time in over a year.
Blade lost to Aigle Blanc in the co-main event of the show on Friday evening, marking his first match in 13 months. Blade last competed inside the squared circle for WWE NXT at a NXT Level Up taping way back on October 14, 2024.
Malik Blade had been on the sidelines for the past year due to an ACL tear he suffered in November of 2024, which required surgery and a lengthy recovery process.
Following the NXT Bartow live event on 11/21, Blade surfaced via social media to comment on making his in-ring return.
“We are so back,” Blade wrote in response to an account documenting the result of his match at the NXT house show in Bartow.
For those interested, you can check out complete WWE NXT House Show Results From Bartow, FL. 11/21/25 here at WrestlingHeadlines.com.
We will keep you posted as updates regarding Malik Blade’s WWE NXT status and future plans continue to surface. Until then, keep up with the latest from the world of WWE’s developmental brand by checking out our NXT news hub.
WWE NXT airs live every Tuesday night at 8/7c on The CW Network from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL.
We are so back ! https://t.co/vLNLSgBYHj
— Malik Blade (@MalikBladeWWE) November 22, 2025
