ARTICLE AD BOX
Swerve Strickland has remained a part of AEW, much to the delight of the company’s leaders, who see him as a key figure in the whole project. Tony Khan, the main person behind AEW, has decided to invest more money to keep top stars in the company and build it around them, along with young talents.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Strickland commented on reports that many wrestlers like him received big financial offers, saying it’s not necessarily good for the sport. He expressed frustration over these claims, feeling they are based on his identity as a Black person. Strickland believes he is in demand and deserves a good contract, considering everything he has achieved in his career.
“They only complain when a Black person gets paid, I will say that. We shake the foundation of things like that. ‘Oh snap, wait. That’s not what we would pay.’ Then why are you calling me? Why are you asking me? If I’m not your concern then don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about my pockets and our money. We’re good. You have your talent. You [WWE] made your decision with me two years ago. No hard feelings from me. I keep it moving and I’m going to figure my way out and I’m going to build myself up.”- Swerve Strickland said, as quoted by Pwmania.
The 33-year-old wrestler acknowledged that WWE has shown renewed interest in him and wanted to bring him back to the company. Swerve pointed out that they never had direct contact, but they did inquire about him and whether he was available. It’s clear that he has other plans, but many find it hard to resist WWE’s offers. Strickland has a great career behind him, and he could have an even bigger one, so we’ll see if WWE wants to sign him in the near future.
“It wasn’t like the words ‘re-sign.’ They ‘asked about my availability.’ They never contacted me. They contacted my representation.”- he continued.
This great wrestler explained that he enjoys not having direct contact with WWE right now. He said that as he moves up and works with influential people like [Charlamagne Tha God], it’s important to maintain some distance in those conversations. He mentioned that his phone has never received direct messages from WWE and that he wants to keep that space, although they have reached out through other means.
It’s clear that WWE officials want to gauge what Strickland is looking for in the near future. The 33-year-old has shown loyalty to AEW this time, but the question is whether he can resist a potentially much better financial offer from WWE. Swerve will face a tough decision, knowing he needs to make an important choice for himself. Right now, he is sticking to the direction set by Tony Khan. AEW doesn’t want to become a company that gives away its best talents and wrestlers to others, but achieving that goal will be challenging, considering WWE's history and significance to many wrestlers.
Swerve Strickland on signing with AEW
The AEW star reflected on his thoughts after signing a contract with the company in August this year. Strickland saw the contract as a great opportunity to showcase his skills. He had long dreamed of becoming such an important figure and earning the trust of people like Tony Khan.
The 33-year-old has had a tough road to stardom; it hasn’t been easy to build his path to success with such strong opponents and names in front of him. However, he no longer cares about headlines and other people's reactions; he wants to shine like never before. Strickland’s motivation seems to grow stronger every day.
“Opportunity and time. All the possibilities that could go on here, like I’m rewarded that, I’m forwarded the opportunity, and that’s all I’ve ever needed. That’s all I’ve ever been given, just an opportunity, you know? I work my way up from the bottom, I don’t care. Put me in battle royals, I’ll lose them all, I don’t care, just give me the opportunity to show out.”- he continued.
Swerve expressed his desire for the chance to shine by saying he wants the opportunity to ask for some TV time in a certain spot. This amazing wrestler mentioned that if he could request a minute of airtime and they agreed, he would be ready to make that moment really meaningful. He emphasized that this kind of opportunity is not something you can ask for anywhere else.
We will see in which direction his career will go, and whether Strickland really plans to remain a part of this company, and thus build a path to stardom.
English (US)