Swerve Strickland has detailed what he had to do to become the first Black world champion in AEW.
The former WWE star beat Samoa Joe at AEW Dynasty to win the AEW Championship for the first time. He held the belt until losing it to Bryan Danielson at AEW All In, and was one of the most impressive champions AEW have ever had.
Swerve Strickland appeared on the No-Contest Wrestling Podcast, where he was asked about being the first-ever Black AEW Champion.
“I was relentless with it.” Swerve Strickland said. “I didn’t want to necessarily push Tony for it, because that’s not how I work. I didn’t want to play the political game. My work always has to speak for me. I have to get better in promos. But it’s not just about talking like a wrestler. I needed to find my own voice, I can’t sound like MJF, Christian, Copeland, or Kingston. I have to figure out what Swerve sounds like.”
“That’s what’s going to carry a title reign. If I focus on this now, it will help carry me through whatever feud comes next. I had to level up in every way—my promos, my body, my responsibility. Being on time, showing up early, leaving late—I had to be the guy you always see. I wanted to do the work outside the ring, outside the arena. Put me on press, I wanted to do media, promote, and dress the part. I wanted to be the most well-rounded champion, not just the best Black champion, but a champion, period.”
Swerve Strickland: I Had To Learn The Business Before Becoming Champion
Swerve Strickland continued, and explained all the different things he had to master before even stepping into the ring, if he wanted to be the AEW Champion.
“So, I had to learn the business, earn my keep, and speak highly of the company—not just in a PR way, but genuinely. This place means something to me, and it should mean something to the fans, too. Whether they are new or long-time fans, I want them to appreciate what we have and where we’re going. I want to bring people on that journey and educate them on the product. I want to be the face of why you tuned in and why you stayed.”
“All of that needed to be taken care of before we even get to the wrestling. Now that I’ve been given the ball, I know things will keep moving upward. A lot of people were frustrated, wanting to see more and questioning why things weren’t happening. But to me, that’s good—it means people care.”
