• Top AEW Star Expected To Return By December
Former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland may be closer to returning to action than expected. After being sidelined earlier this year for meniscus surgery, new reports suggest that the star could be back in the ring by winter, barring any setbacks.
According to Fightful Select, sources within AEW have indicated that the current goal is for Swerve to make his in-ring return around December, though the timetable isn’t locked in yet. The recovery process has reportedly gone well, and optimism is high that he could be cleared before the end of the year.
Strickland had been dealing with the injury since his WWE days, working through pain for years before finally undergoing surgery. The time off was planned well in advance, allowing him to recover fully without rushing back too soon.
Originally, there were discussions about Swerve taking a break after AEW All In, but his hiatus began slightly later. During his downtime, he’s stayed busy outside the ring – most recently sharing a photo of himself in the recording studio with hip-hop legend Raekwon.
• Kurt Angle Announces Major News: “That was really thoughtful of Hulk Hogan”
Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has announced he is now a part-owner of the new wrestling promotion Real American Freestyle (RAF).
Angle, who had been working as a commentator for the promotion, revealed during an interview with Ariel Helwani that he now holds a percentage ownership stake in RAF. He described the opportunity as one he takes great pride in and emphasized his belief in the potential of the new venture.
“I’m helping a little bit here and there, but for the most part, I’m an announcer. I’m also a percentage owner in the company. That was really thoughtful of (Hulk) Hogan and Chad (Borstein) to include me in being part owner. I’m taking a lot of pride in this. I mean, I own part of it now, and this is something that I’m going to take pride in and do the best I can to make it work.”
The promotion, RAF, was co-founded by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and is backed by entrepreneur Chad Bronstein.
Angle initially turned down Hogan’s offer due to financial disagreements, but returned to renegotiate and eventually accepted the role. Hogan passed away during the contract process, with Bronstein completing the deal with Angle.
RAF aims to spotlight freestyle wrestling in a competitive format distinct from traditional sports-entertainment models. Angle expressed excitement about helping bring mainstream attention to the discipline.
• WWE’s Original Plan For Fraxiom Break-Up Revealed
At NXT Stand & Deliver 2025, Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) lost the NXT Tag Team Championship to Hank and Tank (Hank Walker and Tank Ledger).
According to Nathan, the original plan for this event was the break-up of Fraxiom. Here’s what he said on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast:
“In an alternate universe, which I’m very glad that we don’t live in, Stand & Deliver wouldn’t have been Nathan Frazer and Axiom vs. Hank and Tank. Stand & Deliver would’ve been Nathan Frazer vs. Axiom, Mask vs. Hair.
That was the North Star that everybody agreed on. We said to them like, ‘Don’t do it.’”
