User blog comment:IamJakuhoRaikoben/Chapter 447: Escape Battle, Review./@comment-1153699-20150803144544/@comment-1153699-20150810063049

Well, he was still in a condition to fight Laxus if he really wanted to so I don't think he's weak. He was just up against the wrong opponent. For all we know Iwan at the time could have been on GMG Natsu's lvl or maybe even above him.

I doubt we'll never see or hear from him again. Maybe he'll come back this arc and it would turn out he was training with Yury or something for the past year and show us what he's really got. That would be cool.