Big Update On Penelope Ford's AEW TV Return

Ford is an AEW original, having signed with the company back in 2019. She started off as a ringside presence rather than an in-ring competitor, first as the valet to former AEW talent Joey Janela, then finding herself by the side of Kip Sabian, who she married in 2021. Shortly before vanishing from TV, Ford competed in a landmark match for herself on "AEW Rampage: New Year's Smash," as she teamed with The Bunny to take on Tay Conti (now known as Tay Melo after her own nuptials) and Anna Jay in a bloody street fight. Ford took part in a wild spot in that match, as Conti hit Ford with a piledriver off the apron through a table. This took Ford out of commission and allowed Anna Jay to put the Queenslayer on Bunny for the submission victory.

However, Ford has been unable to step into an AEW ring for several months. She last competed on the January 15 episode of "AEW Dark," when she defeated Angelica Risk — since then, her presence on television since has been non-existent, causing many fans to believe she was put on the All Elite backburner. AEW President Tony Khan dispelled that notion a month back, however, saying he "can't wait until she's medically cleared to come back." And if a recent "AEW Dark: Elevation" taping is any indication, neither Khan nor the fans will have to wait any longer.

"AEW Quake At The Lake" took place yesterday evening in Minneapolis, but beforehand, AEW taped its "dark" shows, "AEW Dark" and "AEW Dark: Elevation," both of which stream on the promotion's YouTube channel. According to in-person reports, Ford made her in-ring return at the "Elevation" tapings, meaning those fans who weren't in the building will finally be able to see her compete again on the upcoming episode of the show this Monday.

Ford is said to have competed in singles action against Heather Reckless on the show, and came out victorious. Fans in attendance also noted that Ford had an interaction with Sabian who, as per usual these days, was at ringside with a box on his head. Sabian has been out of action since March 2021, when he was taken out by Miro in a move that served to write him out of AEW storylines due to his upcoming arm surgery.