Latest Rumors on WWE's Archive to ESPN, AEW's Swerve Strickland and Hurt Syndicate

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

WWE, ESPN Could Expand Partnership to Include Archive Library

Earlier this month, WWE and ESPN announced a deal to stream premium live events exclusively on ESPN's direct-to-consumer service in the U.S. market starting in 2026.

For now, that's the extent of the company's partnership, but that might soon change.

Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio (via Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) that ESPN is expected to purchase the rights to carry WWE's archive as well.

ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro told The Ringer's Bryan Curtis (via Awful Announcing's Ben Axelrod) he was open to making another deal with WWE regarding the massive library of old footage.

"We're always interested in the content of that quality," he said. "I will tell you that we have the archival rights for the [Premium Live Events] that we are airing. But yes, in terms of their library, we certainly would be interested if and when those rights are available."

WWE decided long ago it made more sense to sign a streaming deal for its archive rather than support a its own service. The WWE Network is still active as a standalone entity in only a handful of countries.

With WWE's agreement with Peacock expiring, shifting the video archive to Netflix or ESPN makes the most sense given their existing media partnerships and wide reach.

Strickland Potentially Facing Knee Surgery

Fightful Select (via Steve Carrier of Ringside News) reported AEW star Swerve Strickland has been working with a torn meniscus and that the injury goes all the way back to 2019.

On the heels of losing to Kazuchika Okada at Forbidden Door on Sunday, Strickland might finally decide to have surgery.

Should that happen, the former AEW world champion would be on the shelf for multiple months. A torn meniscus is often a season-ending injury in professional sports.

Strickland's knee trouble was referenced on the Aug. 13 episode of Dynamite, though the full extent of the problem wasn't mentioned. Between that and him failing to take the AEW Unified Championship from Okada, it looks as though the company is setting the stage for him to be written off television for a while.

Perhaps the AEW creative team is planning to spin a storyline Wednesday on Dynamite that makes it abundantly clear Strickland is taking a long break.

Hurt Syndicate Didn't 'Outright' Reject Loss at Forbidden Door

Fightful Select (via Ringside News' Subhojeet Mukherjee) reported AEW had discussed putting the tag titles up in a three-team match for around a month, so it wasn't a last-minute workaround for rumors of The Hurt Syndicate refusing to drop the titles to FTR.

Fightful said the faction never "outright rejected to lose to anyone."

Still, the finish to Sunday's match will inevitably invite some questions.

Bleacher Report's Kevin Berge argued last Wednesday's time-limit draw between Brodido and FTR was intended to "to protect the champions in a loss." That's exactly what transpired at Forbidden Door as Bandido pinned Dax Harwood, not Bobby Lashley or Shelton Benjamin to claim the gold.

Ricochet and Gates of Agony attacked Lashley and Benjamin midway through the match, removing The Hurt Syndicate from the finishing sequence.

Structuring a match in a way that the champion(s) isn't the one getting pinned is a common tactic. The involvement of Ricochet and GOA might also be a way to pivot The Hurt Syndicate toward a feud with MJF.

There's a rational explanation for the tag team championship wrapping up in the way it did.

But the earlier rumors about The Hurt Syndicate will likely fuel more speculation after Forbidden Door.