Swerve Strickland might be running out of time to stay active in the ring.
After working through a torn meniscus for years, AEW is now preparing for the possibility that hell undergo surgery following his AEW Unified Title defense at Forbidden Door. If that happens, Swerve could miss several months of action.
This development comes after AEW worked Stricklands injury into a storyline on the August 13 episode of Dynamite, revealing that AEW doctors were checking on his knee. Behind the scenes, it was more than just part of the showStrickland has been dealing with this injury since 2019, dating back to his time at the WWE Performance Center. He rested it briefly back then, but the issue never fully healed.
AEW sources previously indicated via Fightful Select that Strickland was getting treatment from the Jacksonville Jaguars medical team to avoid surgery. However, with the injury not improving significantly, internal conversations within AEW have shifted toward planning around a potential recovery period.
Stricklands match against Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door now comes with serious stakesnot just for the title, but potentially for the future of AEWs top star. If surgery is needed, it could mark the end of his current reign and force AEW to reshuffle major plans.
Do you think AEW should protect Stricklands long-term health and have him take time off? Or should he ride out this wave of momentum and push through the pain? Sound off in the comments below.
