Swerve Strickland Undergoes Knee Surgery — What It Means for AEW and His Future
Former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland has begun the rehab grind. Strickland shared an Instagram Story this morning showing his knee wrapped following a successful procedure to repair a long-nagging torn meniscus—an issue he’s dealt with dating back to his NXT run. There’s no official timetable for return, and he was already slated to step away from TV after Forbidden Door.
At Forbidden Door: London, Swerve fell to Kazuchika Okada in a Unified Championship bout, then absorbed a calculated post-match assault on the same knee—ring post, steps, and chair—furthering the injury angle. On the outside, Prince Nana was also taken out after an ambush from Wardlow, who revealed himself as the newest member of the Don Callis Family.
What’s next while Swerve rehabs?
AEW’s upper card has a genuine void with Swerve out—and Will Ospreay also sidelined. Possible pivots the company can make in the short term:
- Orange Cassidy — reportedly close to a return from a torn labrum; an immediate TV spark whenever he’s cleared.
- Samoa Joe — back on AEW programming after promoting Twisted Metal S2; world-title gravity on demand.
- Konosuke Takeshita — fresh off a G1 Climax win in Japan; momentum and credibility to anchor big TV/main events.
- Wardlow (Don Callis Family) — his Forbidden Door return gives AEW a ready-made heater for high-stakes stories while champs are thin.
When Swerve is healthy, a revenge lane against Okada and a reckoning with Wardlow/Callis are sitting there, hot and ready.
🗣️ Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
Internally, this was described to us as “the right time to fix a long-term problem.” The plan was always for Swerve to step back after Forbidden Door; the Okada post-match attack cleanly wrote him off while preserving a money rematch. Don’t expect AEW to rush a timeline—there’s equity in keeping Swerve’s return date fluid and striking when the card needs a jolt. Creative’s short-term calculus likely leans on Takeshita’s tournament glow and Joe’s big-fight aura, with Orange slotted as the feel-good pop when he’s cleared.
Okada vs Swerve Strickland: HIGHLIGHTS | Forbidden Door 👇
