Swerve Strickland will miss considerable time in the ring due to recovery from a torn meniscus surgery that is very near. Bodyslam.net reports that Strickland will undergo the surgery this Wednesday, August 27. The report was later confirmed by Fightful.
Strickland has been dealing with the meniscus tear since 2019, Fightful adds, and that he was expected to take time off after Forbidden Door. AEW’s most recent pay-per-view from London, England saw Strickland fail to beat Kazuchika Okada in an AEW Unified Championship match. Post-match, Okada trapped Swerve’s knee between the post and ring steps and struck him with a steel chair.
Strickland’s absence opens up a void for somebody to step up into his spot on the AEW roster. A former AEW World Champion, Swerve is regularly featured in main event segments and matches and it remains who fills the gap in the card.
Swerve isn’t the only notable name who’ll disappear from AEW’s shows as Will Ospreay is dreading an upcoming surgery of his own. As AEW prepares to move ahead without two of its most popular stars, fans await to see what’s next for Tony Khan’s promotion.