Swerve Strickland explains how horror has helped inspire his wrestling persona.
The former AEW Champion recently appeared on the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast, where he discussed how he brings elements of horror movies into wrestling.
Swerve Strickland mentioned the likes of Candyman, Demolition Man and Sweeney Todd as places he took inspiration from that help add to his character.
“Those things, those elements, come into play with like a syringe and things like that. I think back to horror movies that made you uncomfortable. Horror’s always been an underlying tone in my character, which you wouldn’t think about with most Black wrestlers. We think we’re very flashy, we’re very shiny, we’re charismatic, we’re athletic. And I’m like, yeah, we’re all those great things, but what’s that in addition to?” Swerve Strickland said.
“For me, it’s like—I’m not a horror character, but I have horror elements about my character that I bring into play, like Candyman. There are horror elements that bring it into play that still stick with reality, right? Like, you know, going around Cabrini-Green and the stories of Candyman. That’s a horror undertone to a real thing, a real situation, a live setting.”
Swerve Strickland On Being Inspired By Demolition Man, New Jack City & Sweeney Todd
“So I was like, okay, how do I take a Wesley Snipes Demolition Man Simon Phoenix in the ring—because a lot of my movements are based off his fighting from that—and then add in a ‘Blade’ element, but also New Jack City, and still add horror to all that. Then, when I went into the coffin, I added a little bit more of Sweeney Todd into that.”
“Once again, those small little items, the trinkets, are like a barber blade. It’s an instrument not used for pain, but it is, right? The purpose isn’t to hurt, but it can. That’s where those other elements came through—the eyes started getting darker, because revenge is on my mind. The task is on my mind. I won’t rest until I get it, and I want you to feel and see that with me. You know something’s not right about him, but you can’t put your finger on it. And we’re not going to tell you.” Swerve Strickland added.
