For each second of frustration, letdown, or roadblock in the best way, Swerve Strickland is utilizing it as motivation. He talks overtly concerning the challenges that compelled him to revamp and take his character, his wrestling, and his physique to a complete completely different stage.
He reached the best of highs on the WWE roster, successful the North American championship in NXT earlier than being drafted to Smackdown on Night 1 of the WWE Draft alongside his faction, Hit Row. There was an expectation that Hit Row might be big-time gamers on the present earlier than the group was finally dismantled and Strickland, amongst others, was launched.
“That left a giant chip on my shoulder to show it was one of many greatest errors you could possibly have made,” Strickland tells Uproxx Sports. “And now, successful the tag titles with Keith Lee and doing a co-main occasion in pay-per-views with stated tag titles, doing all these huge arenas and being featured in a variety of completely different, very distinctive methods and with the ability to do the music crossover and present them that was one of many greatest errors you made, however you’ll be able to’t have it again now. You can’t make up for that now and I’m creating one thing that’s even larger than what you anticipated of me over there. I’m actually blessed in that division. I wish to not simply give again to them, however I wish to showcase, I wish to exceed the expectations of me right here at AEW as properly.”
Strickland appreciates the alternatives he’s gotten within the 12 months he’s been with AEW, and he thanks his group of people that have helped carry distinctive concepts to maintain his identify within the dialog.
With AEW, Strickland has been awarded with artistic freedom to mix popular culture with wrestling in ways in which made the enterprise increase by the 2000’s. From Fabolous collaborating in his entrance at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York to his work with Rick Ross to having Kevin Gates have a good time his tag group championship win in Georgia, Strickland says that’s the great thing about AEW — you by no means know what’s going to occur on the present.
It’s not simply popular culture that’s made Strickland a trending identify, however his latest surge heading up Mogul Embassy. He sees the Nick Wayne angle as a turning level for his character, a second that shocked AEW followers when he and A.R. Fox left the 18-year-old Wayne in a pool of his personal blood on the Buddy Wayne Academy in Seattle.
“I knew that is one thing that hasn’t been carried out in wrestling shortly, particularly to this diploma. And with the story we’ve, the connection we’ve, it’s a bit extra highly effective. And how younger he’s, it’s a bit extra surprising, too,” Strickland continues.
“I wish to go in new, distinctive methods. That’s one thing I additionally don’t wish to bastardize to the purpose the place you see it so usually. Those ought to be moments that change both my character notion or the notion of the character that’s being acted upon. Those must be key moments (the place) we want one thing huge to shift the brand new story. Those must be monumental moments that you simply don’t neglect. Because when you do too a lot of them, then it form of get misplaced within the wayside.”
Ultimately, it got here all the way down to getting followers make investments. And as soon as they have been, the arduous a part of the story was accomplished.
“How can we get folks to actually care?” Strickland says. “If you see (Wayne) wrestle, this child’s going to be one thing someday. Why ought to we care? Well, now he’s acquired a purpose to. And then A.R. Fox is being concerned. Okay, we like A.R. Fox, he’s athletic and he can wrestle, he’s actually good, however why ought to we care about him on this combine? Well, now we acquired you a purpose to.”
There are callbacks to the unbiased scene throughout this rivalry that Strickland says makes it extra actual, bringing followers nearer to the wrestlers, their background, and the moments that introduced them to AEW.
“It was extra emphasis to carry the realness and authenticity to what we’re attempting to let you know and fairly than similar to, I wish to beat you as a result of I feel I’m higher than you otherwise you wish to beat me since you assume you’re higher than me. No, I wish to damage you since you’ve carried out one thing to me prior to now that I’ve not gotten over and now I’m going to do all these items to get again at you on a private vendetta,” Strickland continues.
“Now it’s like, oh, we’re coping with harmful males over there. We acquired to name within the cavalry, which was Sting.”
Strickland seems to be positioned as AEW’s subsequent huge star, with a marquee matchup alongside A.R. Fox towards Sting and Darby Allin in a coffin match at All In from Wembley Stadium in London on August 27.
He speaks of manifesting this match, stating in a earlier interview that Sting could be a star he’d like to face. It’s a testomony to preserving a chip on his shoulder and persevering with to churn away.
“Where’s the outlet in my recreation? Where’s one thing that’s lacking? Let’s repair that. Let’s get on that and work on that. And then actually, timing, timing is large too. I didn’t know concerning the stadium factor being introduced in any respect till it was. Now that that’s taking form, I gotta get myself able the place I can’t be left off of this card. And right here we’re,” Strickland says.
With AEW’s loaded roster, being on the cardboard usually is a hit in itself, a lot much less wrestling Sting in entrance of the biggest paid attendance of his iconic profession. For Strickland, it’s additionally a major second for the tradition.
“I at all times felt like whether or not I intend to or don’t intend to, the tradition is at all times watching. African American tradition, the Black professional wrestling fan base, the hip hop tradition, all that has influenced me so heavy. It’s helped create the Swerve character,” Strickland says. “People actually have caught onto that, they usually’re influenced, and a few are even impressed by that. So simply the truth that I’m the illustration on the Wembley card proper now at this second, as a result of there’s nonetheless extra matches to be introduced, that’s huge. And to be going towards an icon like Sting and, anyone that I’ve gone to wars with for years on the independents with Darby Allin. And anyone that I’ve had one of many best matches with A.R. Fox, that’s a very wild crew of individuals to be round that I by no means would’ve considered six, seven years in the past.”
More than only a second for Strickland, or actually any particular person inside AEW, he seems like All In is a turning level that would have trickle results for years to come back throughout the wrestling business.
“It makes folks see that there’s a chance. It makes folks imagine once more,” Strickland says. “We know WWE is doing their factor. Their enterprise is increased than it’s ever been and congrats to them. But that made us increase their recreation. Wembley goes to make them must make modifications. They’re not sitting as comfy in there anymore. And that’s not a nasty factor, that’s a superb factor, we would like them to. If AEW could make the individuals who run WWE deal with my buddies and expertise higher and get them higher alternatives and stuff, that’s a win for professional wrestling and that’s all we want.”
