AEW’s Swerve Strickland confirmed today that he has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus. On Wednesday, August 27, he shared an update on his Instagram story showing his right knee bandaged, accompanied by a single word: “Success.”
The procedure addresses a legitimate injury Strickland has been managing for years. Reports indicate the meniscus tear originally occurred back in 2019 while he was at the WWE Performance Center.
To provide a storyline reason for his upcoming absence, AEW integrated the real-life injury into its programming. This culminated in the main event of Forbidden Door on August 24, where Strickland unsuccessfully challenged Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Unified Championship.
Following the match, Okada and the Don Callis Family launched a vicious assault specifically targeting Strickland’s knee. The angle saw Okada use a steel chair to slam the ring steps into Strickland’s knee, which was trapped against the ring post, writing him off television.
The segment also featured the return of Wardlow, who was revealed as the newest member of the Don Callis Family, aligning himself with Okada.
While the surgery was a success, no official timeline has been announced for Strickland’s return. He is expected to be sidelined for a significant period of time to recover.