When Swerve Strickland jumped ship from WWE to AEW following his and the rest of Hit Row's release from the SmackDown roster in 2021, excitement was intense.

After turning himself into a legitimate star in NXT both as a singles star and with his band of buddies under the watchful eye of Paul “Triple H: Levesque, Strickland, and the entirety of Hit Row were overlooked to an almost laughable degree by Vince McMahon on the main roster, with just one match wrestled before being release despite spending roughly a month on the main roster. Even if the rest of Hit Row didn't join him in AEW – a decision that looks very wise in hindsight – things certainly couldn't be worse for the do-it-all star in his new home, with the potential for creative opportunities unimaginable in WWE regardless of the brand on the table.

Sitting down for an interview with Mark Hoke on the Mark Hoke Show, Strickland explained the frustrations he felt in the WWE Universe, especially when some performers were afforded a chance to cut the line and jump to the top, even if it wasn't necessarily warranted.

“It was a great experience, but there were also times where I was like, ‘I know I can offer more. I know that I'm being held aside because there is so much focus on the top of the card with the stacked roster with guys that are feeling the same way as well,'” Swerve Strickland said via Fightful. “They have the opportunities and are getting their chances because they've been feeling like they haven't been used to the best of their abilities, so now it's their turn to get theirs and their opportunity to showcase that. As me, I'm like, ‘Ah man.' You can't just cut the line and jump in front of these guys that have been there. Then, there are the occasional guys who can jump the line and get right to the top. That can be frustrating. There were those frustrating times, especially when you have all this creative energy and these different ideas that you can truly give something different and unique on the show. At the same time, it's not your show, and it's not necessarily your time to push that idea because they have their plans as well.”

Fortunately for Strickland, his frustrations have largely been resolved in AEW, as he's been afforded a chance to try multiple ideas over his run with the promotion, with his current run with Prince Nana and the Mogul Embassy rapidly becoming one of the hottest act around. Why did it work? Because Tony Khan allowed Strickland to write the horror he held close to his heart.

Swerve Strickland wants to write horror in AEW.

Explaining his approach to storytelling in AEW versus WWE, where he had very little control over his presentation, Swerve Strickland noted that, in wrestling, like in film, there needs to be a place for all stories to be told. After being funneled into a specific lane for years, Strickland is ready to swerve into his own lane, which falls more along the lines of Jason Voorhees' style of menace.

“It's almost like writing a movie, and someone has the idea… say you're writing drama and suspense, but I have great horror. ‘I'm not writing horror right now. I'm writing suspense. We'll have time for horror. Don't know when I'll need it, but we'll get to horror. Let me finish my suspense first.' That's what it feels like. Finally, when you get your chance to showcase that horror, and you blow it out the water and make that classic, it's like, ‘I need volume two and volume three,'” Strickland said.

“That's where NXT and WWE feel was for me. I've seen it with countless other people too. When they get on and get their time and chance to showcase and change the world like pro wrestling and entertainment, it's beautiful. For me, AEW, I didn't necessarily have that time to wait. It was cool to come out and be like, ‘I have horror.' ‘Cool, we don't have horror, show us what your horror is all about.' Boom, here we go. That's what AEW felt like. To have that opportunity, no different than WWE's roster being stacked full of talent, AEW was jam-packed full of talent, and being able to showcase that and work with those guys is unlike any place you could ever be. It's rewarding when you know your ideas are being heard, and they take a chance on it. It could always fail, but at least they take a chance on it.”

Have Strickland's ideas in AEW always worked? No, not necessarily – remember when he kidnapped Billy Gunn? That was weird – but considering how Hit Row were used in their return to WWE, it's safe to say he made the right choice.