Wardlow Returns to Help Okada Exploit Swerve’s Knee at Forbidden Door

AEW’s Forbidden Door London event delivered shockwaves yet again—this time centered around the AEW Unified Championship and the long-running question of Swerve Strickland’s health.

As we previously reported on Wrestling.news, Strickland has been battling a legitimate torn meniscus heading into this title defense. That injury played a pivotal role in his highly anticipated clash with Kazuchika Okada.

Swerve’s Fight Against the Odds

Despite the nagging knee injury, Strickland fought valiantly against Okada. The crowd roared as Swerve battled through both pain and Okada’s heel tactics—including an eye gouge and playing possum to bait Strickland into hitting his House Call. But in the end, Okada connected with his devastating Rainmaker to retain the AEW Unified Championship.

The drama didn’t end with the bell. Okada, unwilling to leave any doubt, launched a brutal post-match assault on Swerve’s injured knee—seemingly a signal that the champion wants Strickland out of the picture for the foreseeable future.

Wardlow’s Stunning Return

Just when it looked like Strickland would be left broken in the middle of the O2 Arena, Prince Nana rushed to ringside in a desperate attempt to save his man. That’s when the surprise hit—Wardlow returned to AEW.

Last seen in early 2024 before a long hiatus (which included a stint on American Gladiators alongside The Miz), Wardlow emerged as the newest enforcer of the Don Callis Family. Aligning himself with Konosuke Takeshita, fresh off his G1 Climax victory, Wardlow made a statement by siding with one of AEW’s most dominant factions.

The message was clear: The Don Callis Family is stacking the deck with talent, and the AEW babyfaces may have just lost one of their strongest assets to the other side.

Wrestling.news | Backstage Take

Swerve Strickland deserves enormous credit. Wrestling through a legitimate torn meniscus and still delivering on a global stage shows his grit and star power. But AEW is now forced to reckon with two realities: their top babyface could be sidelined, and Don Callis just strengthened his Family in a massive way.

Wardlow’s return was the kind of surprise that shifts momentum overnight. Fans who waited months to see him back now have their answer—he’s not just back, he’s standing with Callis and Takeshita. The question now: who steps up to oppose them, and how long will Swerve be out of action?

#AEWNews #ForbiddenDoor