A top AEW star is a huge fan of Swerve Strickland and knows firsthand that the recognition is justified.
Although multiple former WWE stars have made their way over to AEW in the past 5 years, it has not been guaranteed that the move would be a successful one. While established performers have kept their place at the top of the card, others struggled in their new home.
Arguably the wrestler who has seen the biggest change for the better since becoming All Elite is Strickland. Previously underutilised in WWE, Strickland has thrived with more creative freedom in AEW, becoming a main event star and World Champion in the process.
Competing in the biggest match of his career, Strickland headlined All In 2024 against Bryan Danielson and walked into Wembley Stadium as the champion. Recalling his match against Strickland with Justin Barrasso of Undisputed, Danielson described the experience as “perfect”:
“Swerve was perfect at All In. I mean, he’s incredible. He just signed a new contract with AEW–and that is one of the benefits of having two mainstream wrestling companies in the United States. WWE didn’t see value in him, and they let him go. When Swerve came here, he said he was going to become AEW champion–and he did.”
In late 2021, Strickland was one of many names released by WWE as part of the “budget cuts” during the pandemic. Looking at the star that he has become, Danielson questioned why WWE let the former World Champion go and stated that All Elite Wrestling was where Strickland has been given the opportunity to show the world what he can do:
“You watch him and ask, ‘Who would ever let go of this guy?’ He just wasn’t given the opportunity to be his best self. And that goes both ways–I don’t want it to sound like, ‘Oh, evil WWE, they don’t let their talent be their best selves.’ Some people will thrive there. Some people will thrive here. There are people who will thrive in both places, there are people who will be underutilized. That’s the benefit of having two major companies in the United States. If someone doesn’t see value in you, you can try somewhere else.
“And Swerve, he is the most professional of the professionals. Him, Claudio, [Samoa] Joe–anything you need them to do, they do it without hesitation. The way he’s been able to show everyone how skilled he is of a professional wrestler, I’m so impressed. I can’t say enough about him as a professional wrestler or a human being.”
Swerve Strickland Remains Absent From AEW TV
The former World Champion was last seen competing at the All Out pay-per-view in the main event against Adam Page in an unsanctioned steel cage match. The match was won by Page after Strickland was attacked with a hypodermic needle and a chair shot to the head, resulting in the referee bringing the match to an end.
In another interview, a former WWE star named Swerve Strickland as a dream match.