Health Update On AEW Stars Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland

Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland are two of the performers who have helped AEW get to a point where many fans see the company at another peak, but all their hard work has come at a price. Both men have been working through injuries throughout 2025, with Ospreay having two herniated discs in his neck and Strickland having a torn meniscus, after both men were written off of TV at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view by the Death Riders and the Don Callis Family respectively, what does the future hold for two of AEW's top stars?

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer was able to provide updates on both men, and it seems that they are both taking their first steps on their separate roads to recovery. For Ospreay, he initially wanted to hold off of having surgery, but it has since been confirmed that he will go under the knife in the next few weeks. No timetable for his return is currently in place due to the unpredictability of the surgery Ospreay is having, but Meltzer has previously stated that Ospreay shouldn't rush back to the ring as neck surgeries will often take a long time to fully heal, and in some cases, they never properly heal.

Strickland's situation is actually further along than some would have suspected. He had his surgery on August 27, and is reportedly already back in training on the treadmill. Much like Ospreay, there is no official timetable on when he will return as it's not clear on whether Strickland had a major or minor surgery. If it the procedure was only minor, Strickland could be back in two-to-three months, while a major procedure will keep him out of action for at least six months, but regardless of the severity of Strickland's surgery, AEW will try and keep his road to recovery under wraps in order for his eventual return to be a surprise.