AEWs Swerve Strickland might be the #1 contender for the AEW World Championship, but right now, hes still sitting on the sidelines.
The AEW Revolution 2025 pay-per-view left plenty of wrestlers banged up, and Strickland was no exception. After a hard-hitting match with Ricochet, Strickland revealed he suffered a ruptured eardrumand its serious enough to keep him off AEW TV.
According to Fightful Select, Strickland was not present at the March 19, 2025, episode of AEW Dynamite, with sources stating hes still recovering from the ear injury. The damage has impacted his hearing, and while hes still listed as the top challenger for Jon Moxleys AEW World Title, theres currently no word on when that match will happen.
Strickland originally confirmed the injury himself during the AEW Revolution post-show scrum, telling reporters, I have a ruptured eardrum right now, so I can only hear out of this ear. So definitely be loud.
Despite the injury, Strickland managed to defeat Ricochet in a wild, back-and-forth match to earn the title shot. He even returned Prince Nanas robe after the win in a moment that had fans on their feet. But the celebration was short-lived as reality set in: Stricklands condition isnt improving quickly enough to get him back on TV just yet.
Do you think Swerve Strickland will make it back in time to dethrone Jon Moxley? Or could this injury cost him the biggest opportunity of his AEW career? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
