It has officially been three months since Swerve Strickland became the new and defending AEW World Champion at Dynasty, icing out Samoa Joe in a Missouri main event to officially become the first-ever African American World Champion in AEW history.
Since then, he's defended the belt on four occasions, twice on television and twice on Pay-Per-Piew, and has rapidly become one of the faces of Tony Khan's company, even if some fans still believe Will Ospreay is the ace of AEW. Factor in some key outside endorsements from the likes of Jim Jones, Booker T, R-Truth, and Kofi Kingston and a key match set with Bryan Danielson in the main event of All In, and you have a performer in Strickland who is having himself a moment in AEW, quickly establishing himself as one of the top stars of professional wrestling regardless of the promotion.
Discussing his recent success in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Strickland was asked what the biggest difference has been between his run in AEW and his time in WWE and why he's been afforded a chance to succeed so heavily in TK's company versus his time working for Triple H and company. For Strickland, the answer comes down to one thing above all others: TV time.
“TV time, that's an investment. Tony Khan gave me that. He gave me that with top talent. Top tag team talent. Top managerial talent. Rick Ross. Everywhere, all throughout the show. That's what everyone wants, and Tony Khan offered that to me. When you don't get that, it crushes your spirit. I could ask for a minute in a promo, and Tony would give it to me. That means more than people will ever know,” Swerve Strickland told Sports Illustrated.
“I pay attention to what everybody else is doing, but I don't focus on it. My focus is being as unique and true to me as possible. I have to be true to me. That's what allows me to stand out in a different way. And you don't know what's going to come next. That's what is helping define my title reign. It feels very genuine, too. This feels like the alternative, and that was the whole point in the first place. That's what this is.”
Would Strickland have gotten just as over in WWE had he been afforded the same amount of run on television during his abbreviated time on SmackDown? More likely than not, yes, he was incredibly over during his time in NXT with Hit Row, winning the North American Championship during his run through developmental, and that success likely would have translated onto the main roster if he was allowed to showcase what he can do in the ring and on the mic. Still, in the end, Strickland is now incredibly over and ultimately got where he wanted to be, even if it came in AEW instead of WWE, so all's well that ends well, right?
Swerve Strickland isn't taking his run as AEW Champion for granted
Speaking of Swerve Strickland's run as the AEW Champion, in a recent interview with The Chase & Big Joe Show, the former Hit Row leader revealed that while he does appreciate being given a chance to run the ball from TK, he's had to take the risks to make his run a must-watch for fans across the IWC.
“[AEW] gave me the opportunities, for sure, but it's still, I had to fight for it and claw for it and take risks. For me, going for the top prize doesn't come without taking bigger risks. I appreciate being given the opportunity and the chance, and also getting the platform to truly be expressive and creative at the same time with it. Being able to do how I want to do, the way I want to do it. That means a lot,” Swerve Strickland told the The Chase & Big Joe Show via 411 Mania.
“The fact that any performer, when they are getting time, is probably one of the best benefits of this job. Time, I can do a lot with a little. Imagine what little I can't do with a lot. That's what All Elite Wrestling has done for me. Being able to go out there and perform with a Will Ospreay, Claudio Castagnoli, Kyle Fletcher, The Elite. Facing off with Brian Cage, Christan, Samoa Joe. There guys are legends and future legends. Being able to do all that but still be me and keep my core of who I truly am and do it the way I want to do it. There wouldn't be that without AEW. I'll always have a high level of respect, love and appreciation for AEW for that.”
With Blood and Guts officially booked for Dynamite versus “Hangman” Adam Page and The Elite and a match against the “American Dragon” scheduled for All In at Wembley Stadium, Strickland has a chance to really cement himself as one of the true luminaries of the current generation of professional wrestlers with one five-plus star match on the books and potentially more to come due to the quality of opponents he has on the books. If Strickland comes out on top and is still the champion this fall, the AEW World Champion will be able to call himself the Frank Sinatra of professional wrestling, as he truly did it his way.
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