AEW Star Tells Company To Pull The Trigger On Swerve Strickland
One top AEW star believes that the time is right for Swerve Strickland to be crowned AEW World Champion.
The leader of the Mogul Embassy has gone from strength to strength in AEW since arriving in March 2022 after his surprising release from WWE, where the 33 year-old was tipped to become a top name.
The former Isaiah “Swerve” Scott went on the lift the AEW Tag Team Championship with partner Keith Lee at Dynamite: Fyter Fest on 13th July 2022, with the duo holding on to the straps until suffering defeat at the hands of The Acclaimed at Dynamite: Grand Slam on 21st September 2022.
Strickland would turn heel after attacking Lee on the 21st December 2022 edition of Dynamite and has enjoyed success ever since, ultimately earning himself a shot at the AEW World Championship after victory over Dustin Rhodes at AEW Worlds End.
Strickland is set to join fellow challenger Adam Page in competing for the AEW World Championship currently held by Samoa Joe at Revolution on 3rd March 2024, with one legendary performer encouraging Tony Khan’s organisation to pull the trigger on a title run for the Washington native.
During a recent edition of his popular podcast ‘The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy‘, the former WWE Tag Team Champion and current AEW star stated his belief that now was the time for Strickland to lift the company’s top title:
“I’m gonna have to say, I think it’s time to pull the trigger on Swerve. That is what I would say. Is that what’s gonna happen? I don’t know.
There’s no spoilers, I don’t know. I am not in the loop. I haven’t been around TV, I haven’t talked to anybody. I don’t want to know. I would rather be genuinely surprised. As I said before, I think it’s Swerve. I just think it’s the right time. I think if they’re gonna pull the trigger on Swerve, I think now’s the time to do it.”
Swerve Strickland Could Be Crowned First Ever Black AEW World Champion
Hardy would go on to elaborate on his feeling that Strickland should climb to the top of the AEW mountain, suggesting that AEW should capitalise on the expected increased viewership driven by the retirement of Sting to crown the first ever black AEW World Champion:
“One thing I do just want to point out, when you have guys that you can tell organically get hot, and the crowd is really behind them and they dig them, and it’s a special moment, here you have even a even more special moment with Swerve.
There has not been a black world heavyweight champion [in AEW], so that is a special moment in itself, and this is gonna be a huge show. There’s so much interest in the show because of Sting and Sting’s last match. You’re gonna have a ton of eyeballs on this. If you want to make Swerve, this is the f*cking place to make him.
If you want to make Swerve, if you are trying to make him a legitimate guy, this is the place to make him. This is the most eyeballs that have been on any show in the last few months. I think this is the time to pull the trigger.”
H/T: Fightful for the above transcription