Swerve Strickland has officially opened up on his in-ring retirement date.
Arguably one of the biggest names on the All Elite Wrestling roster, Swerve Strickland has now revealed his retirement plans. While not treated as a top star in WWE and NXT, Strickland found his rhythm soon after joining AEW. Winning the World title last year, Strickland enjoyed a successful run before losing it to Bryan Danielson at All In 2024.
Now set to compete against Kazuchika Okada for the Unified Championship at Forbidden Door 2025 in London, Strickland has also opened up on when he plans to hang up his boots. Earlier this year, Strickland revealed his contract length and also teased retiring once it ended.
Now, in a recent interview with Wrestle Figure News, the 34-year-old has confirmed those plans.
“I meant every word. I’ve never lied to the fans about that kind of stuff. Honestly, I don’t want to give my talent, my ability, my mind, my body, or my soul to anyone else. I want to give all of that to AEW, because they’ve given me everything I need.
I’ve shown loyalty, but not just that—I’ve shown dedication, appreciation, and that I’m not just in it for me. I want everyone to benefit from what AEW can offer, not just the wrestlers, but the fans too.”
He further shared his interest in pursuing a backstage role,
“I’ve shown loyalty, but not just that—I’ve shown dedication, appreciation, and that I’m not just in it for me. I want everyone to benefit from what AEW can offer, not just the wrestlers, but the fans too.
That’s what makes it fun—the challenge. If AEW is missing something, then let’s go get it. If something’s not where it should be, we raise it up. Ratings, ticket sales, audience draw—that’s the goal. That’s what motivates me.
I don’t want to be just a part in the machine—I want to help run it. But the cool thing is, I can still be hands-on. I can still be with the people, helping, teaching, exploring new ideas. Not just repeating what’s always been done, but crafting new ways and exploring uncharted territory.
AEW is in a place that’s never been seen before in wrestling history. Every hour that passes is something new—for AEW and for the entire business. That’s what makes it exciting, even when it’s stressful. That’s where I find the fun and the passion.”
H/t Sescoops
The former champion also answered if he sees himself in the promotion after his AEW contract ends in 2029.
That’s a discussion we’ll have in year five.”
Without a championship for several months now, fans expect their favorite star to achieve gold at the upcoming huge PPV in London.
Former WWE Star Not On Talking Terms With Swerve Strickland
A few days ago, while appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, former WWE star AJ Francis revealed his real-life strained relationship with former Hit Row teammate, Swerve Strickland.
Man, ask him. When you have him here, ask him. [Helwani: what’s happening?] You won’t find one interview with me bringing him up first. [Helwani: yeah, I know] You won’t find one. [Helwani: but you were cool right?] Yeah, we was cool until a couple months ago, apparently. We was cool until a week before his interview came out. Shout-out to Chris Bey, I saw him at Chris Bey’s benefit show, and everything was cool, no problems, everything was cool.
Then the interview came out and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m just gonna clear the record, say what actually happened.’ We’re not talking in innuendos, let’s talk about what actually happened, and I ain’t talked about him since unless somebody else bring him up, that’s just me. [Helwani: which I did, we’ll figure that out] It’s OK, I knew that you would.”
In other news: A popular NJPW star is set to debut on SmackDown before SummerSlam 2025.