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The injury bug has bitten another top star in All Elite Wrestling. A new report has confirmed that former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland is currently working with a legitimate torn meniscus. The injury was acknowledged on this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
According to a new report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, the on-screen injury announcement is based on a real-life issue that Strickland has been dealing with for years. The news comes as Strickland is preparing for a championship match at the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view.
The Swerve Strickland Injury
On the August 13 episode of AEW Dynamite, it was mentioned on commentary that AEW doctors had seen Swerve Strickland for a knee injury. The Fightful report has now confirmed that Strickland is working with a torn meniscus.
The report also notes that this is not a new injury. He has reportedly had a tear in his meniscus since his time training at the WWE Performance Center in 2019. At that time, he rested the injury for four weeks and was able to return to television. It now appears that the grueling in-ring style of the high-flyer has aggravated the old injury.
AEW sources also indicated that medical staff from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the NFL team also owned by AEW’s Tony Khan, are helping him with his recovery. The report states that there is a possibility he could require surgery and time off in the near future.
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A History of “The Realest”
Swerve Strickland has been one of AEW’s biggest breakout stars of the past two years. After a successful run in WWE NXT as the leader of the Hit Row faction, he was released and eventually signed with AEW.
His career reached a new level when he formed the Mogul Embassy faction. His intense, personal, and bloody feud with “Hangman” Adam Page was one of the most acclaimed rivalries of 2023. This momentum propelled him to the main event, and at the Dynasty pay-per-view in April 2024, he defeated Samoa Joe to win the AEW World Championship, becoming the first African American man to hold the title.
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What’s Next For Swerve Strickland?
Swerve’s title reign was a successful one, but it was cut short by an injury to his opponent at the All In pay-per-view in July. He is now looking to get back to the top of the mountain. He is scheduled to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the AEW Unified Championship at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in London on August 24.
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