Remember That Time AEW Debuted Beef?

In September 2024, independent wrestler Jake Garvin accomplished what many in the industry set out to do from an early age by working a match on cable TV. Building off a few previous Ring of Honor and dark match appearances, Garvin made his debut on "AEW Rampage" by facing Roderick Strong, and he did so under one of several names he's been using on the independent scene: BEEF.

Though he lost against Strong, BEEF did get some offense in, and he was able to win over the crowd in the time that he had. With tag partner Anthony Henry in his corner, the arena in Lexington, Kentucky, could be heard chanting BEEF's name as he did his best to hold off the much more experienced Strong. The odds looked to be in BEEF's favor at times, but after about eight minutes, Strong was able to put his opponent away with a flying knee.

In the weeks following his "Rampage" debut, "The Kentucky Meat Shower" continued to make appearances for AEW as well as ROH. He and Henry picked up a tag win in ROH, while BEEF continued taking singles losses to opponents like The Beast Mortos and Wheeler Yuta on AEW programming. Once JD Drake of The Workhorsemen was able to return from injury, he and BEEF began tagging together as well, picking up several more ROH victories before his brief time with the company came to an end. For now, at least.

BEEF hasn't appeared on AEW TV since November 2024, but the wrestler has been keeping busy. He regularly appears on the independent scene in the Midwest and southern United States, both as BEEF and as Gnarls Garvin. The wrestler also remains active on social media, where he has spoken up regarding his mental health as well as his desire to work in arenas once again.

"I'm going to become the professional wrestler I always wanted to be," BEEF wrote, using all capital letters. "Not something made for me. I created BEEF, I die by BEEF."

While he has yet to be brought back for an AEW or ROH return, there is some demand for another appearance, and it's somewhat related to a play on words involving his name. One AEW fan on Reddit suggested a tag team that would bring together BEEF and The Butcher, and the wrestler himself commented on the thread. BEEF thanked his fans for their support and assured readers that he was working hard to make his return to their TV screens. While BEEF did not comment on the prospect of a tag team with The Butcher, in wrestling, anything is possible.