A new report indicates that former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland is nearing his return to television. According to Fightful Select, Strickland is “supposed to be back within the next month, barring any setbacks.”
The report notes that there were original discussions about Strickland taking time off immediately following AEW All In, but those plans were “pushed back a bit.” Strickland has been a focal point of AEW programming throughout 2025.
Strickland underwent surgery this summer to repair a meniscus injury after he was written off AEW television at Forbidden Door. Strickland signed with WWE in 2019 as Isaiah “Swerve” Scott. In NXT, he led the stable Hit Row and captured the NXT North American Championship. The group was drafted to SmackDown in October 2021 but was released from their contracts in November 2021.
Strickland debuted in AEW in March 2022. He won the AEW World Tag Team Championship with Keith Lee as “Swerve In Our Glory” before turning on Lee to form the Mogul Affiliates (later Mogul Embassy). At AEW Dynasty in April 2024, he defeated Samoa Joe to become the first-ever African-American AEW World Champion. He held the title for 126 days, eventually losing it to Bryan Danielson.
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