Swerve Strickland Could Return to AEW in December After Knee Surgery

Former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland, sidelined since late August for knee surgery, could be cleared to return to in-ring action this winter, possibly as early as December, AEW officials said, provided his rehabilitation continues without setbacks. Strickland underwent the procedure to repair a torn meniscus that he has managed since 2019, and his time away from television was planned to allow him to focus on recovery.

Strickland had his most recent match at the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view, where he lost the AEW Unified Championship to Kazuchika Okada. Following the match, AEW scripted an attack on Strickland that wrote him off television to accommodate the surgery and recovery timeline. Storyline segments in the build to the Okada match also included on-screen attacks that incorporated Strickland’s knee injury into the narrative. AEW president Tony Khan has said he expected Strickland back sooner rather than later, though officials emphasize that no firm return date has been set.

The knee problem dates back to Strickland’s time in WWE in 2019, when he initially rested for a month before returning to competition. This summer’s operation was intended as a more...