Swerve Strickland is easily one of the most talked about professional wrestlers in the world right now.
Not only has he consistently had excellent matches in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), he has become one of the promotion’s most charismatic and popular stars.
His most recent feud with Hangman Adam Page remains one of the most talked about in the world, and his recent contract signing with AEW shows how much confidence the company has in him.
However, there was a chance that he could have returned to WWE.
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During a recent appearance on Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM, Strickland revealed that WWE had actually shown interest in him when his contract was nearly up with AEW.
“Yeah. It wasn’t like the words ‘re-sign,'” Strickland said. “They ‘asked about my availability.’ They never contacted me. They contacted my representation. I’m at a stage now where I enjoy the fact that I don’t have that direct contact.”
“When you are progressing and getting higher and you’re in rooms with people like [Charlamagne Tha God], you have to kind of keep space in between these types of conversations,” Strickland said.
“You can check my phone. It’s never been there. I never had direct contact. I want to keep that little space. Communication has been reached out,” Strickland added.
Strickland went on to say that he has no urge to return to WWE and is beyond happy in AEW.
“I’m happy with building AEW. I’m happy with building myself,” Strickland said. “AEW is giving me something that I don’t think WWE could ever give me. And I’m really proud of that. I wave the flag proudly because Tony Khan didn’t take a chance on me—he knew what he wanted from me. He put me in the position and said, ‘Now grow.'”
Swerve originally worked with WWE from 2019-2021 as a member of Hit Row alongside Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Top Dolla, and B-FAB. With the stable, he’d go on to win the NXT North American Championship.
However, the company would eventually release the entire group after they were brought up to the main roster, something current AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson couldn’t understand.
“You watch him and ask, ‘Who would ever let go of this guy?’ He just wasn’t given the opportunity to be his best self,” Danielson said in an interview with Justin Barraso. “And that goes both ways – I don’t want it to sound like, ‘Oh, evil WWE, they don’t let their talent be their best selves.’ Some people will thrive there. Some people will thrive here.”
While B-FAB, Top Dolla, and Ashante “Thee” Adonis returned to WWE, Strickland went to AEW, where he would go on to be one of their top superstars.
In AEW, Strickland has gone on to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship alongside Keith Lee and the AEW World Championship.
Strickland would hold the latter title for 126 days. He would go on to be named by Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the No. 2 wrestler in the PWI 500 in 2024, only behind current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
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