Swerve Strickland Recalls Learning From Shawn Michaels
Swerve Strickland is using the lessons he learned from WWE’s Shawn Michaels, as he discussed recently on a podcast.
Swerve Strickland has worked for AEW since March 2022. That debut happened after his WWE release in November 2021. During his career, Swerve was known as Isaiah “Swerve” Scott, who was the leader of the HIt Row group that was put together in NXT and made its way to the main roster.
Since Hit Row wasn’t thriving on the main roster, WWE decided to cut Swerve, which was seen as a confusing move at the time due to how talented of a performer he was while still in his prime.
While speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Swerve Strickland recalled the lessons he learned from watching a tape with WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, who is in charge of the company’s NXT brand.
“I would have like hour long tape studies with him. Close the door boom. It’s me and him watching old indie stuff. He wanted to see like, ‘Okay, what got you here?’ ‘You’re doing well right now, but I want to know what got you here.’ He was like really paying attention to my pacing and how I move.”
“And then he was like ‘I see what kind of performer you are.’ We’re not really putting you in the position to be the true performer you are and that’s where he started like having creative meetings with Triple H when they were writing TV for the next week or so. Then they would be texting me on the side like alright, Trips wants to see this out of you. Then comes a match with Bronson Reed. Have the match, come to the back, Shawn’s like taking me to the side, ‘that’s what I’m talking about.'”
How Is Swerve Strickland Doing In AEW’s Continental Classic Tournament?
Following his huge win over “Hangman” Adam Page at AEW Full Gear in an incredible Texas Death Match, Swerve Strickland’s positive momentum has continued in AEW’s Continental Classic tournament.
In his first match in the Continental Classic Gold League bracket, Swerve beat Jay Lethal. On the November 29th Dynamite episode, Swerve Strickland had a tougher test when he defeated Jay White.
A 2-0 start in the tournament puts Swerve at 6 points with matches against Jon Moxley, Rush & Mark Briscoe still to come.