Former AEW World Champion Aiming For “Winter Return” From Injury

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A new report from Fightful Select has provided an update on the recovery of former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland and his potential timeline for a return to the ring. Strickland has been sidelined since August after undergoing a planned surgery to repair a torn meniscus, an injury he had reportedly been working with since his time in WWE.

The latest word from inside AEW is that Strickland’s rehabilitation is on track, and he could be ready for a “winter return” if his recovery continues to go smoothly. This timeline would see him back on AEW programming in time for the company’s major winter events, such as Full Gear in November or Worlds End in December.

Strickland’s last match was an unsuccessful challenge for the AEW Unified Championship against Kazuchika Okada at the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view on August 24. Following that match, he was written off television to have the much-needed surgery. During his time off, Swerve has not been idle.

He has been actively focusing on his music career, recently posting a photo from a recording studio with legendary Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. The post was captioned, “Cooking up with the Chef Raekwon. Beats by Profit The Producer.”

The news of his potential winter return comes at a crucial time for AEW, which is currently dealing with several injuries to other top stars like Kota Ibushi and Will Ospreay. AEW President Tony Khan recently commented on Strickland’s status during the WrestleDream media call, stating that he expects Swerve to be back “relatively soon” and that his injury does not have a long-term outlook.