Swerve Strickland underwent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus

Swerve Strickland has begun recovery after undergoing surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, officials and multiple reports said, following an injury angle at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door that was designed to write him off television. The former AEW World Champion lost to Kazuchika Okada in the main event on Sunday, August 24, at the O2 Arena in London and was treated as having sustained further damage to a long‑standing knee problem before having the procedure three days later.

Reports indicate Strickland has been managing a torn meniscus since 2019, when he reportedly injured the knee while training at the WWE Performance Center. He later opted for rehabilitation rather than surgery and continued wrestling while under treatment. In recent weeks medical staff from the Jacksonville Jaguars were said to have been assisting in his care. Those close to the situation had prepared for the possibility that Strickland would need surgical repair and an extended absence, a plan that was ultimately implemented after Forbidden Door.

The postmatch sequence in London saw Okada and associates focus on Strickland’s knee, trapping the leg between the ring post and the steel...