After failing to defeat Kazuchika Okada at AEW Forbidden Door, Swerve Strickland has been absent from the promotion's weekly programming in order to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus that he's been dealing with for the past six years. Following his match with Okada, Strickland was brutally attacked by a returning Wardlow to officially write him off television, but now that his surgery was a success, the former AEW World Champion has already resumed training.
On Wednesday, Strickland shared a video of himself on social media rehabbing his knee just two weeks after going under the knife.
"Not getting easier."
Despite Strickland already being back in the gym, he's expected to be out of action until early 2026, with the recovery time for his type of injury being anywhere between six to eight months due to the severity of the tear. Strickland initially tore his meniscus while training at the WWE Performance Center when he was still under contract with the company in 2019, and though he managed to return to in-ring competition quickly, his knee sustained lasting effects. As Strickland continued to wrestle full-time, he also received professional help from the Jacksonville Jaguars medical team, but unfortunately their assistance wasn't enough for him to avoid surgery.
AEW is currently dealing with several injuries to some of their biggest stars, with Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega and Wardlow all expected to be out of action for an extended period of time.
