Swerve Strickland feels right at home in AEW.
One of the top stars of All Elite Wrestling and closing in on a title match against World Champion Samoa Joe, Strickland’s latest character shift is a world apart from his days in WWE while being a part of Hit Row.
Released from his contract in November 2021, the rest of the faction would also be cut from WWE shortly afterwards. The former North American Champion would debut at Revolution 2022, going on to win tag team gold with Keith Lee before branching out into a solo career with critically acclaimed battles against Adam Page and a strong showing in the Continental Classic. During this time, the rest of Hit Row had a brief run on the independent scene.
In August 2022, Top Dolla, Ashante Thee Adonis and B-Fab would all return to WWE, with the group being one of many re-hires by Triple H. Unlike their first run in NXT and on the main roster, the group did not connect the same way with fans the second time around, with many citing Strickland’s absence as the cause of this.
Appearing on the Smooth Vega podcast, the topic of Hit Row without Strickland was discussed. Strickland noted that his extensive experience on the independents gave him the edge when it came to life after WWE:
“That comes from experience. I had a different experience than those guys had. I’ve known how to build myself from the ground up on the independents. I knew how to hustle, get here, get to there, put on performances and matches, and then go, ‘How do I get that?’ Then monetize that into this and make this into something. Everything, throughout my career, and to this day, I apply; one thing leads to another and to another. That’s kind of how you see those little things in my entrance and my music, my wrestling, my look, the sound, all that was weaving together from going from here to here to hustling. That’s something those guys still need to learn.
The former Tag Team Champion continued, noting that it can be difficult in WWE due to the creative process, adding that he never considered a move back to his former employer:
It’s tough in that organization, WWE, it’s really tough creatively when you don’t have your hands on your creative, and it’s left to the powers that be to maneuver you how they see fit, and that’s not easy for anybody. For me, I was in a place where I knew I needed to be. I needed to be in AEW. When I got the phone call to go back, I didn’t even answer it. It was, ‘Nope,'”
Swerve Strickland Discusses WWE Frustrations
Despite being one of the most popular acts in NXT at that point, Strickland was never given an opportunity to be the top star of the brand. Shortly after signing with AEW, Swerve Strickland recalled his frustrations regarding WWE booking and how it motivated him during his time in AEW.
H/t to Fightful.