Former WWE Superstar Rockstar Spud, known to WWE fans as Drake Maverick, is set to make a surprising in-ring return for the first time in nearly five years.

The 43-year-old last wrestled in November 2021. However, he will soon have two appearances on PROGRESS Wrestling in the United Kingdom. The return is especially noteworthy because Spud currently works behind the scenes in WWE as part of the RAW creative team.

PROGRESS Wrestling recently announced that Rockstar Spud will be part of its upcoming Odyssey Tour. He is scheduled to wrestle on September 12 and September 13. The company celebrated the announcement by looking back at Spud’s long career and his success in several major wrestling promotions.

PROGRESS Wrestling tweeted:

“1,769 days since the last time he had a match, nearly a decade since appearing in Progress, Rockstar Spud is coming back the the UK and he is lacing up the boots once again ??

One of the most entertaining wrestlers to come out of the UK, Spud has done so much in the wrestling industry.

A two-time TNA X Division Champion and a seven-time former WWE 24/7 Champion (as Drake Maverick), a General Manager and since his last wrestling match in WWE, he has remained with the company in a backstage role.

But on the 12th and 13th of September, he makes an incredible return to the ring with PROGRESS!

We are delighted to have Spud as a part of the tour and cannot wait to welcome him back to the ring,”



Rockstar Spud’s last PROGRESS match took place back in May 2017. He lost to Nathan Cruz in a Super Strong Style 16 Tournament qualifying match at Chapter 48.

He made a name for himself during his five-year run with TNA Wrestling before joining WWE in 2017. After arriving in WWE, he donned the name Drake Maverick.

Maverick worked as the on-screen General Manager of 205 Live and later managed AOP on RAW. He also had a memorable run in NXT.

One of the major moments of his WWE career came after his release in 2020. Following his release, Maverick shared an emotional video that connected with fans. The immense support he received, along with his performances in the Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship Tournament, eventually led to Triple H bringing him back to WWE.

His final WWE match came on the November 8, 2021 episode of RAW. In that appearance, he lost the WWE 24/7 Championship to Reggie. His release came later that month. However, Maverick returned to the company in 2022, this time in a behind-the-scenes role. He eventually became part of the RAW creative team.