AEW superstar Swerve Strickland joins the Battleground Podcast ahead of AEW Revolution to talk about his dangerous mindset, his clash with Brody King, and why 2026 is all about putting the entire roster on notice. He opens up about how his military background shaped his discipline, how Killshot helped build the confidence behind Swerve Strickland, and why constant evolution has defined every stage of his career. Swerve also reflects on pushing boundaries in his unforgettable feud with Hangman Page, chasing a legacy as one of the most well-rounded wrestlers of all time, and the moments that made him realize just how far he’s come. Plus, he shares dream matchups, music talk, and why everything he brings to the ring is authentically and unapologetically him.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, it's no battle ground, battle ground.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Battle Brown podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
What's up you, guys? Welcome back into another episode of
the Battleground Podcast. What episode number is this? I've kind
of started to lose count.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Where are we at?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Three?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
This is number three sixty? Wow, three hundred and sixty
episodes of this podcast, and we couldn't say thank you
enough for being a part of this journey with us.
For sure. If you're on social media, follow us on
Instagram Battleground Podcast. We're posting clips from this interview, we're
posting behind the scenes stuff, we're posting things at events,
(00:46):
so make sure you stay up to date with all
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of course you can watch all of these interviews on YouTube.
Just go to YouTube search Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
But without further.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Ado, let's get into it our interview today with Swerve
Strictl on the head of AW Revolution, Ring that bell.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
What's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Welcome back into Iheartrate is official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast,
and AW Revolution is happening this weekend. And what better
way to celebrate AEW revolution than two gets who we
consider the MVP of AW give it up for swear
Strickling joining the show.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Swerve, how are you, sir?
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I'm good, feeling dangerous today, just got a good workout
in and I'm ready to get back on the road
to the West Coast.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Man.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We are super excited, So let's go ahead and talk
about it. How's your mindset heading into this right now?
Into AW Revolution knowing you've got a physical, hard hitting
fight waiting for you with Brody King.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
The mindset's always like two steps ahead, as you can see.
Like that's kind of how twenty twenty six has been
for me, you know what I mean, Like everything's been
like a step ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Of not just the match, but just like of the program.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
And so that's kind of like how I've always had
this step on my opponents, you know a little bit.
You know, I felt like the one person that got
past me that you know that I didn't have those
one step ahead all was undraughted this year. And you know,
he's he's he's been on a run this twenty twenty
six and him come back to the company. So it's
(02:19):
been great for him. But now it's time for things
to be great for me, And like This is one
of the years of putting the whole roster on notice.
You know, this is the year that like I showcased
why I am who I am, why I'm in the
position that I'm in, and it's not to be taken
for granted. My position, my star power will not be
(02:40):
taken for granted in aw and in professional wrestling business.
And there's a lot of people trying to talk down
on it. And this is the lessons that I'm teaching.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
That's excellent answer.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
You know, You've you've talked in the past about you know,
growing up on a US military base in Germany and
listing at seventeen for twenty twenty six swerve. I mean,
how much of that discipline and mindset do you fall
back on, Like how much of that is influence in
the twenty twenty six versions.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Were It's always influenced me, like throughout my entire career.
That's kind of why I got here.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I got here to where I am because that discipline
that's been invoked to me since I was like I
would say, eight years old, all the way to me
going to the military at seventeen years old, all the
way to like where I'm at thirty six. You know,
it's it's the drive and the way of adapting to
situations that don't always favor you. It's about finding ways
(03:35):
to maneuver around those things when you are like especially,
you know, when you're not considered the one to be
favored in the position that you're in, you always got
to find a way to take what you have, the
little that you have, and make the most out of it.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And that's what's been my wrestling career.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
That's what I learned in the military or not afforded
all the you know, the amenities, all the accessories to
get the job done. But the task is still to
get the job done. And that's what my professional wrestling
careers and that's what twenty twenty six is. Now I
have everything I might just spose, so now nothing is
off the table. Now there's very little I can't do
(04:11):
with all that I have around me, and I'm going
to utilize all of it.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, absolutely for sure. Now you talk about your career
and a lot of people have known you over many years,
one of them being.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Kill shot in Lucha Underground.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I want to know from you, what did it feel
like to kind of bury that persona and bet on
Swerve Strickland as the name that was going.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
To make it.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I feel like at the time, I learned all that
I could at that level with Lucha Underground, and that's
what gave me the confidence to become Swerve. I needed
to take the kill Shot, not the name, but everything,
the education, the skill set, the knowledge, and the and
the new Like I would say that instinct, the confidence
(04:52):
that I grew becoming you know, kill Shot in the
temple of Lucha Underground. You know, I had to take
that confidence and put that towards Swerve and make Swerve
that performer that kill Shot was. And then that grew immensely.
When I got into aw the confidence grew again. And
then but there's still like like little images I paid
(05:13):
to the kill Shot character. But it wasn't like a
fear of mine. It was just like, no, now I
know what I need to do. It's like I know
basically off of these things, all these elements that you know,
I kind of cracked that fear of becoming a top
performer in the wrestling world after Lucia Underground because of
like I wasn't expecting to become a top performer. I
(05:34):
was just expecting to just try to become like an
entity on the show. And once I did the Weapons
of Mass Destruction match that took me over the top,
and then the Hell of War match with ar Fox
Dante Fox on the show, that was what sealed the deal.
It's like, Okay, this guy's a top performer, and now
I had to take that top performer and put it
(05:54):
on the Swerve of Strickland onto television in a whole
new web, a whole new way.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
This sounds funny, but I think if Kill Shot and
then Swerve Strickland met in an alley, I think Swerve
would be making.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Its way out.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I'm not sure, yeah, for sure. You know, speaking of
you just got out of the gym and it's dangerous day.
You've bulked up quite a bit over the last couple
of years, and I mean you physically are.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Way more obviously more dominant.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
You know a lot of guys when they come back
from injury or time off, they just kind of pick
up where they left off. What made you decide the
old version wasn't enough and you really had to like
reconstruct yourself from the ground up.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
It wasn't necessarily a reconstruction. I never like necessarily start over,
because a lot of people think they have to start
from scratch, or like in picking up where you left off.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I never liked that either.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Every time there's a return or of me coming back,
there's an evolution of me.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I always put it as like bodybuilding.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
You know, you built, you bulke up, you bulke up,
you buke up, you add all these things onto you.
That's where you get to, like the big weight, and
then after a while you realize you don't need that
weight anymore.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So you cut, and you cut and you cut.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So it was getting removing certain things that I just
didn't need anymore, like the mobile embassy that got removed,
and then you know the dark eyes that got removed,
the gold teeth that got removed, you know the big
fur coats that got removed.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
So it was just cutting and cutting and cutting.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
To now is just like the frame of Swerve right
now is just leather and a tank top, because that's
the core. Now you see the core of what Swerve
initially is. I don't need all the pizzave. I don't
need all these things because those are the things that
people said that got me over in the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Now I don't have them, So what's the reason for
me being where I am now?
Speaker 1 (07:39):
But now like but now I'm evolving into more of
an adult version of the kids swerve that you saw
come in, you know, like all the way that then
that carried all the way over from back to NXT,
you know, like that that persona was like me playing
around in that universe. Now it took that same element
from that universe and brought over to AW, and now
(08:02):
it grew into something more and evolved.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So it's just a constant, ever.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Ever evolving, like portrayal that you're seeing live on television.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And you know, one thing that a lot of people
really enjoyed with AW is your feud with Hangman Page
with some of the most personal, violent stories that AW
has told since it's you know beginning. What was it
like carrying that story knowing that fans wanted you to lose,
and how violent and how brutal it got it was.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
It was the whole purpose of it was taken it
to the edge, taking it to like breaking the pretty
much the barrier of like what is deemed like too far.
The whole purpose of it was to go as far
as we could and then push further and then to
push further again. So now we have this element of
every time we're both in the ring together, anything can happen,
(08:55):
because we've seen it go so far. We've seen a
house being burnt down, you know, We've seen me entering
someone's house. We've seen syringes, we've seen cinder blocks, we've
seen blood drinking, We've seen all these different elements that
were just way too much dropping on the cinder block,
you know, things like that. It's gone so far that
now we're at a place where like it's like nitrogen
(09:20):
and a match and a lighter are in a ring
now and people are watching to see if they get
close enough, if it'll blow up. So every time we
get on screen together, whether it's to have a conversation,
whether we're side by side, or whether across from each other,
which you've seen all of that since World's End, you've
(09:40):
seen both elements people pay attention to a little more, People
stand up like just by our you know. So that's
what we that's really where it was where we are
both mindset would just take it as far as we
can and push the boundaries as far as we can
to the point that people get upset about it. People
will get uncomfortable about it. People like start debating whether
(10:04):
it's this belongs in wrestling, whether it should be on television,
whether we're pushing the boundaries. I'm like, the boundaries were
pushed back in the nineties, so like that's not us
that pushed it that far. It was like, you know,
we grew up watching the boundaries being pushed, So now
we're in twenty years later, we're pushing the boundaries again,
and you know, so now it's like that's the evolution
(10:27):
of where aw really took the next step. And then
I feel like the next step was like, well, Osprey
coming in and he took the main event scene and
took like those high caliber matches to the next level
and raised the bar again. So it's just like we're
all trying to find our ways to like raise the bar.
Tony Storm and Mariah May took the bar for women's
(10:47):
wrestling and raised it again. Mercedes Monette took the bar
of women's wrestling as a champion and going all around
the world belt collecting. She took the bar and raised
it again. So all of us are about raising the
bar again until point that everybody else has to compete
with us because everybody has to watch us. Now you
have to watch us because we are not just setting
the standard, we're moving it up.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Absolutely, And I mean, like just in the last month,
I mean, aw, the TV on AW has been unreal.
I mean, like even you you against Gravity the other
night on Collision, just like you make quick work of it.
But it was just solid television wrestling. I mean, it's
just you guys have been on a tear last six month,
especially twenty twenty six specifically. But a little bit of
(11:30):
a side question here, some things that have been kind
of catching wind online and on X or whatever you
want to call it. Is this the whole pro wrestler
versus NFL debate? You know, can wrestlers do what they whatever?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Do you have?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Do you weigh in on any of that? Do you
do you have an opinion? I'm sure you have an
opinion on that site.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I think both are some of the greatest athletes you'll
ever see in the world on both sides. You know,
I think there's different levels and tiers of it as well. Oh,
you know, there's there's there's there's.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Been Olympic athletes that got into pro wrestling.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
As well that never touched the football field, you know,
and there's like the I think there's been like Olympic
athletes that gone into NFL.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
You know, they're both top tier athletes.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I feel like there's a lot of NFL players that
are great cross at cross sport players too. A lot
of NFL players could have played pro basketball, you know,
Kyler Murray could have went to Major League Baseball. He
was drafted, you know. Well, same with Russell Wilson. So
I feel like there's a lot of like crossover sports
as well. So like it's hard to tell. You can't
narrow it down to just a blank slate of like
(12:39):
this sport and this person this athlete. I feel like
it's just all over the place, you know. You know,
he had like a Bishop Dyer who was a boxer,
you know, play played ball as well. So there's a
little I think that's the beauty of it. I think
both need each other to succeed. You know, without like
the NFL and stuff, you don't get like a role
(13:00):
and rains, you don't get like a Goldberg. You don't
get these guys as well, you know, So I think
both is needed, both of it.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, and I go to what you're talking about, Like
this player in NBA could play in this Ward this
vice versa. I mean, look at Rajon Rondo right now.
I think what is the number one quarterback in flag
football right now?
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Yeah, Charlie Ward, you know, won the Heisman then he
played basketball.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
So yeah, like this, it's that's the beauty of the
of sports.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
In athleticism in general, I will say there's a there's
a difference between performers being athletic and being athletes, right
I will say there is a difference, Like I'm athletic,
but I don't know if I'm the tier of athlete
to go in the NFL, especially at my aleeage. Even
when I was like in my twenties nineteen, I wasn't
(13:46):
at that level of athlete, but I was always athletic
to be able to perform, you know. So there are
different tiers in different ways to look at it, but
I feel like both can do both in different ways.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Of course, swear Stricton is our guests on the show
right now aw Revolution this weekend on pay per view.
There's always those fun questions when you get asked, like
who's that person right out there now that you want
to step in the ring with that, you haven't got
the chance to have a match with it, you'd think
would be an awesome match. Is there anybody out there
(14:20):
that you're kind of looking at right now of like, hey,
we could put on a five star match.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Honestly, I'm waiting for one of the probably one of
the best talents like all around in the business to
come back. You know, hopefully he's healthy and hopefully he
can like like do even better than what he was
he was giving before. Buddy Matthews shout out to him.
He's one of those guys that's just like a dog
in the rain. I think me and him could do
(14:47):
some great work, and I looked look forward to seeing
him back doing his own thing and doing like you know,
like I think he has a lot to offer in
the wrestling world, and I would like to see him
back healthy again.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah'd be a solid one for sure. You know, as
we get closer towards the end of our show, we
always like to have some fun here. And you know,
when it comes to the theme song, I know that
you have your own theme song you perform and everything
else in between, but if you had to pick maybe
a different artist to come out one night for your
(15:18):
theme song.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Where are you picking?
Speaker 1 (15:22):
I think Asap Rocky is one of my favorite guys
I would love to have like and like he's the
Asap Mob has always dabbled in wrestling throughout the years.
They've put on shows, you know, in Miami and stuff
in wrestling rings, you know, so like I've always appreciated that,
like uh, I think Travis Scott is always one of them.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He always has great energy.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
But I feel like, you know, the sound is like
more predicated to WW at this moment. So I'm always
about finding that unique sound that would stick with us.
I feel like Asap has such a unique sound, that
distortion sound would be really cool for an aw Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, I mean that would be that would be awesome
for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Maybe maybe Asap is can be in Revolution this Sunday.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
We'll see what happened. I didn't find a way to
throw out the invite. I can find a way.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah, I mean that would be already dope, you're sitting there,
all of a sudden he comes out with you.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
It would be awesome for sure, at least at least
double or nothing for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Oh yeah, yeah, let's let's make it happen. I don't
know if we need to. I mean, you've got the connections, Tony.
Do it now, Let's make history. Let's make a pop
culture moment for sure. As as we wrap things up,
I I know you've said publicly that you plan to
retire when your AW contract ends. When you think about that,
(16:39):
what Swerve Strickland's legacy, uh look like when that day comes?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
What's what's it looked like for you? Do you have
you already thought of that?
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I would say my legacy that I was always trying
to push to do, always change and evolve. Once again,
it evolved over the years because I didn't know it
was possible to make it this far, you know, like
I felt like after twenty twenty four, I could have
retired right there after me and Brian Danielson at Wembley,
because I never in a million years would have thought
(17:10):
of main eventing a stadium show, you know, not not
like let alone main eventing it across from Brian Danielson,
another Washington born wrestler, let alone being the champion going
in man eventing, let alone going out there with Bud
be doing my entrance in Westside Gunn, you know, and
(17:32):
Prince Naan.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
I was incredible, of course, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Let alone, Like you know, Prince Naann, I'd be in there,
who's I've been friends with since like twenty thirteen, you know,
and then let alone, just like I would say, like
giving him that moment. Brian Daison called that one of
his biggest moments in his career. You know them on
top of being breakout Wrestler of the Year by ESPN
(17:56):
and twenty twenty four, on top of being number two
in the PW why. You know, however, wide range, big
and small, those accomplishments to make mean to some people
out there. They meant a lot to me because it
all happened at the right time for me. But I
could never imagine that happening. So now, like I could
have retired right then and there, and I would I'd
(18:17):
be happy. Anything else after that is just let's like
add it on. I'm just I'm just doing DLC at
this moment. Everything else was to add on. The game
ended two years ago. So for me, at this point,
I wanted to go down as one of the most
well rounded wrestlers of all time, and I really feel
like I'm on that path.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I was like, there's nothing you can put me in
that I can't do. You put me into tags, I'm
gonna have one of the best tag matches ever.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
You put me in hardcore matches, I'll probably have one
of the best hardcore matches ever. You can main event me,
you can open the show with me, you can like
have put me in a faction, you put me with
a manager, you can There's nothing you can't do with
me that I can't.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Maximize to the most.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
And I feel like that's why I pride myself on
and I'll that's why I went out there and said, like,
there's nobody else like me in this industry or probably
in wrestling history. And I will wholeheartedly stand on that
because I made it a point to be as authentically
myself as possible. Whatever weird, like childlike wonder that ever
(19:19):
entered my mind in my head, I put it on screen.
I put it like I literally gave it to the people.
And it wasn't like it wasn't influenced by another wrestler.
It wasn't influenced by like something I seen in the
wrestling world or studying growing up. It was frankly from here,
and it was from here, and I think people that's
what's connected people so much to me because every time
(19:40):
I've come out, people's like, I've.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Never seen that before.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
I never seen that before, because I'm giving a piece
of myself to the world, into the wrestling world time
and time again, whether it's wrestling, whether it's doing a
backstage interview, whether it's like like what I wear out into,
like as far as my attire to the ring, like
whether it's being green Lantern, whether I'm being the Predator,
(20:05):
whether I'm doing the a static you know, or or
if I'm coming out just like because I'm a fan
of the movie.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
The Warriors from Double or Nothing two years ago.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
You know, Like it's always been authentically myself in pieces
of me that I'm sharing to the people that I've
grew up loving. And that's the cool part about this
art form and this like professional wrestling. So that's why
I can honestly say I'm probably the most well rounded
wrestler out there in the world, and truly hopefully by
(20:38):
the end of my career it'll be of all time.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Yeah, I gotta say, with your entrance gear and stuff,
I mean, you're getting like mood a level with some
of that, like the Predator is like a top five
for me. I mean it's just unbelievable. So yeah, kudos,
kudos that.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, you know, I know time is of the essence
right now, and we don't have much time left with
you because you got to get ready for your big
match with Brody before we let you go. Anything you
want to say to the fans watching or listening to
this right now.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Check out Revolution man Mark Beeteenth. We're on the road
from the West Coast on right now. We're going into
Revolution to download Hit Different with Me Myself and Rake
Me Myself, Ray Kuan and Mantezi and Rest in Peace
Profit for doing the production on that. He passed away
early this year in January. So the last record we
(21:25):
did together was Hit Different. So and now we were
in the studio of Rakwan and he loved it, you
know from Wu Tang and shout out Wu Tang going
into the hip hop of the actually the rock and
roll Hall.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Of Famers here.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Yeah yeah, so you know, shout out to that great timing.
Like I said, authentically myself authentically likes It's just me,
whether you like it or not, I'm being myself and
you can't never take that away from me.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
So check that out, download, hit different stream that play it.
No matter what, you're
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Pushing the legacy not only myself but Ray Kwan and
Wu tang Matisi and Profit one of the best producers
ever
Ladies and gentlemen, it's no battle ground, battle ground.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Battle Brown podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
What's up you, guys? Welcome back into another episode of
the Battleground Podcast. What episode number is this? I've kind
of started to lose count.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Where are we at?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Three?
Speaker 3 (00:24):
This is number three sixty? Wow, three hundred and sixty
episodes of this podcast, and we couldn't say thank you
enough for being a part of this journey with us.
For sure. If you're on social media, follow us on
Instagram Battleground Podcast. We're posting clips from this interview, we're
posting behind the scenes stuff, we're posting things at events,
(00:46):
so make sure you stay up to date with all
things professional wrestling. Follow us on Instagram Battleground Podcast. And
of course you can watch all of these interviews on YouTube.
Just go to YouTube search Battleground Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
But without further.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Ado, let's get into it our interview today with Swerve
Strictl on the head of AW Revolution, Ring that bell.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
What's up you guys?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Welcome back into Iheartrate is official wrestling podcast, the Battleground Podcast,
and AW Revolution is happening this weekend. And what better
way to celebrate AEW revolution than two gets who we
consider the MVP of AW give it up for swear
Strickling joining the show.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Swerve, how are you, sir?
Speaker 1 (01:25):
I'm good, feeling dangerous today, just got a good workout
in and I'm ready to get back on the road
to the West Coast.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Man.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We are super excited, So let's go ahead and talk
about it. How's your mindset heading into this right now?
Into AW Revolution knowing you've got a physical, hard hitting
fight waiting for you with Brody King.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
The mindset's always like two steps ahead, as you can see.
Like that's kind of how twenty twenty six has been
for me, you know what I mean, Like everything's been
like a step ahead.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Of not just the match, but just like of the program.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
And so that's kind of like how I've always had
this step on my opponents, you know a little bit.
You know, I felt like the one person that got
past me that you know that I didn't have those
one step ahead all was undraughted this year. And you know,
he's he's he's been on a run this twenty twenty
six and him come back to the company. So it's
(02:19):
been great for him. But now it's time for things
to be great for me, And like This is one
of the years of putting the whole roster on notice.
You know, this is the year that like I showcased
why I am who I am, why I'm in the
position that I'm in, and it's not to be taken
for granted. My position, my star power will not be
(02:40):
taken for granted in aw and in professional wrestling business.
And there's a lot of people trying to talk down
on it. And this is the lessons that I'm teaching.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
That's excellent answer.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
You know, You've you've talked in the past about you know,
growing up on a US military base in Germany and
listing at seventeen for twenty twenty six swerve. I mean,
how much of that discipline and mindset do you fall
back on, Like how much of that is influence in
the twenty twenty six versions.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Were It's always influenced me, like throughout my entire career.
That's kind of why I got here.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I got here to where I am because that discipline
that's been invoked to me since I was like I
would say, eight years old, all the way to me
going to the military at seventeen years old, all the
way to like where I'm at thirty six. You know,
it's it's the drive and the way of adapting to
situations that don't always favor you. It's about finding ways
(03:35):
to maneuver around those things when you are like especially,
you know, when you're not considered the one to be
favored in the position that you're in, you always got
to find a way to take what you have, the
little that you have, and make the most out of it.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
And that's what's been my wrestling career.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
That's what I learned in the military or not afforded
all the you know, the amenities, all the accessories to
get the job done. But the task is still to
get the job done. And that's what my professional wrestling
careers and that's what twenty twenty six is. Now I
have everything I might just spose, so now nothing is
off the table. Now there's very little I can't do
(04:11):
with all that I have around me, and I'm going
to utilize all of it.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Yeah, absolutely for sure. Now you talk about your career
and a lot of people have known you over many years,
one of them being.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Kill shot in Lucha Underground.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
I want to know from you, what did it feel
like to kind of bury that persona and bet on
Swerve Strickland as the name that was going.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
To make it.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I feel like at the time, I learned all that
I could at that level with Lucha Underground, and that's
what gave me the confidence to become Swerve. I needed
to take the kill Shot, not the name, but everything,
the education, the skill set, the knowledge, and the and
the new Like I would say that instinct, the confidence
(04:52):
that I grew becoming you know, kill Shot in the
temple of Lucha Underground. You know, I had to take
that confidence and put that towards Swerve and make Swerve
that performer that kill Shot was. And then that grew immensely.
When I got into aw the confidence grew again. And
then but there's still like like little images I paid
(05:13):
to the kill Shot character. But it wasn't like a
fear of mine. It was just like, no, now I
know what I need to do. It's like I know
basically off of these things, all these elements that you know,
I kind of cracked that fear of becoming a top
performer in the wrestling world after Lucia Underground because of
like I wasn't expecting to become a top performer. I
(05:34):
was just expecting to just try to become like an
entity on the show. And once I did the Weapons
of Mass Destruction match that took me over the top,
and then the Hell of War match with ar Fox
Dante Fox on the show, that was what sealed the deal.
It's like, Okay, this guy's a top performer, and now
I had to take that top performer and put it
(05:54):
on the Swerve of Strickland onto television in a whole
new web, a whole new way.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
This sounds funny, but I think if Kill Shot and
then Swerve Strickland met in an alley, I think Swerve
would be making.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Its way out.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I'm not sure, yeah, for sure. You know, speaking of
you just got out of the gym and it's dangerous day.
You've bulked up quite a bit over the last couple
of years, and I mean you physically are.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Way more obviously more dominant.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
You know a lot of guys when they come back
from injury or time off, they just kind of pick
up where they left off. What made you decide the
old version wasn't enough and you really had to like
reconstruct yourself from the ground up.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
It wasn't necessarily a reconstruction. I never like necessarily start over,
because a lot of people think they have to start
from scratch, or like in picking up where you left off.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I never liked that either.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Every time there's a return or of me coming back,
there's an evolution of me.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I always put it as like bodybuilding.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
You know, you built, you bulke up, you bulke up,
you buke up, you add all these things onto you.
That's where you get to, like the big weight, and
then after a while you realize you don't need that
weight anymore.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So you cut, and you cut and you cut.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
So it was getting removing certain things that I just
didn't need anymore, like the mobile embassy that got removed,
and then you know the dark eyes that got removed,
the gold teeth that got removed, you know the big
fur coats that got removed.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
So it was just cutting and cutting and cutting.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
To now is just like the frame of Swerve right
now is just leather and a tank top, because that's
the core. Now you see the core of what Swerve
initially is. I don't need all the pizzave. I don't
need all these things because those are the things that
people said that got me over in the first place.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Now I don't have them, So what's the reason for
me being where I am now?
Speaker 1 (07:39):
But now like but now I'm evolving into more of
an adult version of the kids swerve that you saw
come in, you know, like all the way that then
that carried all the way over from back to NXT,
you know, like that that persona was like me playing
around in that universe. Now it took that same element
from that universe and brought over to AW, and now
(08:02):
it grew into something more and evolved.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
So it's just a constant, ever.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Ever evolving, like portrayal that you're seeing live on television.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
And you know, one thing that a lot of people
really enjoyed with AW is your feud with Hangman Page
with some of the most personal, violent stories that AW
has told since it's you know beginning. What was it
like carrying that story knowing that fans wanted you to lose,
and how violent and how brutal it got it was.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
It was the whole purpose of it was taken it
to the edge, taking it to like breaking the pretty
much the barrier of like what is deemed like too far.
The whole purpose of it was to go as far
as we could and then push further and then to
push further again. So now we have this element of
every time we're both in the ring together, anything can happen,
(08:55):
because we've seen it go so far. We've seen a
house being burnt down, you know, We've seen me entering
someone's house. We've seen syringes, we've seen cinder blocks, we've
seen blood drinking, We've seen all these different elements that
were just way too much dropping on the cinder block,
you know, things like that. It's gone so far that
now we're at a place where like it's like nitrogen
(09:20):
and a match and a lighter are in a ring
now and people are watching to see if they get
close enough, if it'll blow up. So every time we
get on screen together, whether it's to have a conversation,
whether we're side by side, or whether across from each other,
which you've seen all of that since World's End, you've
(09:40):
seen both elements people pay attention to a little more, People
stand up like just by our you know. So that's
what we that's really where it was where we are
both mindset would just take it as far as we
can and push the boundaries as far as we can
to the point that people get upset about it. People
will get uncomfortable about it. People like start debating whether
(10:04):
it's this belongs in wrestling, whether it should be on television,
whether we're pushing the boundaries. I'm like, the boundaries were
pushed back in the nineties, so like that's not us
that pushed it that far. It was like, you know,
we grew up watching the boundaries being pushed, So now
we're in twenty years later, we're pushing the boundaries again,
and you know, so now it's like that's the evolution
(10:27):
of where aw really took the next step. And then
I feel like the next step was like, well, Osprey
coming in and he took the main event scene and
took like those high caliber matches to the next level
and raised the bar again. So it's just like we're
all trying to find our ways to like raise the bar.
Tony Storm and Mariah May took the bar for women's
(10:47):
wrestling and raised it again. Mercedes Monette took the bar
of women's wrestling as a champion and going all around
the world belt collecting. She took the bar and raised
it again. So all of us are about raising the
bar again until point that everybody else has to compete
with us because everybody has to watch us. Now you
have to watch us because we are not just setting
the standard, we're moving it up.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Absolutely, And I mean, like just in the last month,
I mean, aw, the TV on AW has been unreal.
I mean, like even you you against Gravity the other
night on Collision, just like you make quick work of it.
But it was just solid television wrestling. I mean, it's
just you guys have been on a tear last six month,
especially twenty twenty six specifically. But a little bit of
(11:30):
a side question here, some things that have been kind
of catching wind online and on X or whatever you
want to call it. Is this the whole pro wrestler
versus NFL debate? You know, can wrestlers do what they whatever?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Do you have?
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Do you weigh in on any of that? Do you
do you have an opinion? I'm sure you have an
opinion on that site.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I think both are some of the greatest athletes you'll
ever see in the world on both sides. You know,
I think there's different levels and tiers of it as well. Oh,
you know, there's there's there's there's.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Been Olympic athletes that got into pro wrestling.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
As well that never touched the football field, you know,
and there's like the I think there's been like Olympic
athletes that gone into NFL.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
You know, they're both top tier athletes.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I feel like there's a lot of NFL players that
are great cross at cross sport players too. A lot
of NFL players could have played pro basketball, you know,
Kyler Murray could have went to Major League Baseball. He
was drafted, you know. Well, same with Russell Wilson. So
I feel like there's a lot of like crossover sports
as well. So like it's hard to tell. You can't
narrow it down to just a blank slate of like
(12:39):
this sport and this person this athlete. I feel like
it's just all over the place, you know. You know,
he had like a Bishop Dyer who was a boxer,
you know, play played ball as well. So there's a
little I think that's the beauty of it. I think
both need each other to succeed. You know, without like
the NFL and stuff, you don't get like a role
(13:00):
and rains, you don't get like a Goldberg. You don't
get these guys as well, you know, So I think
both is needed, both of it.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, and I go to what you're talking about, Like
this player in NBA could play in this Ward this
vice versa. I mean, look at Rajon Rondo right now.
I think what is the number one quarterback in flag
football right now?
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Yeah, Charlie Ward, you know, won the Heisman then he
played basketball.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
So yeah, like this, it's that's the beauty of the
of sports.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
In athleticism in general, I will say there's a there's
a difference between performers being athletic and being athletes, right
I will say there is a difference, Like I'm athletic,
but I don't know if I'm the tier of athlete
to go in the NFL, especially at my aleeage. Even
when I was like in my twenties nineteen, I wasn't
(13:46):
at that level of athlete, but I was always athletic
to be able to perform, you know. So there are
different tiers in different ways to look at it, but
I feel like both can do both in different ways.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Of course, swear Stricton is our guests on the show
right now aw Revolution this weekend on pay per view.
There's always those fun questions when you get asked, like
who's that person right out there now that you want
to step in the ring with that, you haven't got
the chance to have a match with it, you'd think
would be an awesome match. Is there anybody out there
(14:20):
that you're kind of looking at right now of like, hey,
we could put on a five star match.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Honestly, I'm waiting for one of the probably one of
the best talents like all around in the business to
come back. You know, hopefully he's healthy and hopefully he
can like like do even better than what he was
he was giving before. Buddy Matthews shout out to him.
He's one of those guys that's just like a dog
in the rain. I think me and him could do
(14:47):
some great work, and I looked look forward to seeing
him back doing his own thing and doing like you know,
like I think he has a lot to offer in
the wrestling world, and I would like to see him
back healthy again.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah'd be a solid one for sure. You know, as
we get closer towards the end of our show, we
always like to have some fun here. And you know,
when it comes to the theme song, I know that
you have your own theme song you perform and everything
else in between, but if you had to pick maybe
a different artist to come out one night for your
(15:18):
theme song.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Where are you picking?
Speaker 1 (15:22):
I think Asap Rocky is one of my favorite guys
I would love to have like and like he's the
Asap Mob has always dabbled in wrestling throughout the years.
They've put on shows, you know, in Miami and stuff
in wrestling rings, you know, so like I've always appreciated that,
like uh, I think Travis Scott is always one of them.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
He always has great energy.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
But I feel like, you know, the sound is like
more predicated to WW at this moment. So I'm always
about finding that unique sound that would stick with us.
I feel like Asap has such a unique sound, that
distortion sound would be really cool for an aw Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, I mean that would be that would be awesome
for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Maybe maybe Asap is can be in Revolution this Sunday.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
We'll see what happened. I didn't find a way to
throw out the invite. I can find a way.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah, I mean that would be already dope, you're sitting there,
all of a sudden he comes out with you.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
It would be awesome for sure, at least at least
double or nothing for sure.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Oh yeah, yeah, let's let's make it happen. I don't
know if we need to. I mean, you've got the connections, Tony.
Do it now, Let's make history. Let's make a pop
culture moment for sure. As as we wrap things up,
I I know you've said publicly that you plan to
retire when your AW contract ends. When you think about that,
(16:39):
what Swerve Strickland's legacy, uh look like when that day comes?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
What's what's it looked like for you? Do you have
you already thought of that?
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I would say my legacy that I was always trying
to push to do, always change and evolve. Once again,
it evolved over the years because I didn't know it
was possible to make it this far, you know, like
I felt like after twenty twenty four, I could have
retired right there after me and Brian Danielson at Wembley,
because I never in a million years would have thought
(17:10):
of main eventing a stadium show, you know, not not
like let alone main eventing it across from Brian Danielson,
another Washington born wrestler, let alone being the champion going
in man eventing, let alone going out there with Bud
be doing my entrance in Westside Gunn, you know, and
(17:32):
Prince Naan.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
I was incredible, of course, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
Let alone, Like you know, Prince Naann, I'd be in there,
who's I've been friends with since like twenty thirteen, you know,
and then let alone, just like I would say, like
giving him that moment. Brian Daison called that one of
his biggest moments in his career. You know them on
top of being breakout Wrestler of the Year by ESPN
(17:56):
and twenty twenty four, on top of being number two
in the PW why. You know, however, wide range, big
and small, those accomplishments to make mean to some people
out there. They meant a lot to me because it
all happened at the right time for me. But I
could never imagine that happening. So now, like I could
have retired right then and there, and I would I'd
(18:17):
be happy. Anything else after that is just let's like
add it on. I'm just I'm just doing DLC at
this moment. Everything else was to add on. The game
ended two years ago. So for me, at this point,
I wanted to go down as one of the most
well rounded wrestlers of all time, and I really feel
like I'm on that path.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I was like, there's nothing you can put me in
that I can't do. You put me into tags, I'm
gonna have one of the best tag matches ever.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
You put me in hardcore matches, I'll probably have one
of the best hardcore matches ever. You can main event me,
you can open the show with me, you can like
have put me in a faction, you put me with
a manager, you can There's nothing you can't do with
me that I can't.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Maximize to the most.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
And I feel like that's why I pride myself on
and I'll that's why I went out there and said, like,
there's nobody else like me in this industry or probably
in wrestling history. And I will wholeheartedly stand on that
because I made it a point to be as authentically
myself as possible. Whatever weird, like childlike wonder that ever
(19:19):
entered my mind in my head, I put it on screen.
I put it like I literally gave it to the people.
And it wasn't like it wasn't influenced by another wrestler.
It wasn't influenced by like something I seen in the
wrestling world or studying growing up. It was frankly from here,
and it was from here, and I think people that's
what's connected people so much to me because every time
(19:40):
I've come out, people's like, I've.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Never seen that before.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
I never seen that before, because I'm giving a piece
of myself to the world, into the wrestling world time
and time again, whether it's wrestling, whether it's doing a
backstage interview, whether it's like like what I wear out into,
like as far as my attire to the ring, like
whether it's being green Lantern, whether I'm being the Predator,
(20:05):
whether I'm doing the a static you know, or or
if I'm coming out just like because I'm a fan
of the movie.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
The Warriors from Double or Nothing two years ago.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
You know, Like it's always been authentically myself in pieces
of me that I'm sharing to the people that I've
grew up loving. And that's the cool part about this
art form and this like professional wrestling. So that's why
I can honestly say I'm probably the most well rounded
wrestler out there in the world, and truly hopefully by
(20:38):
the end of my career it'll be of all time.
Speaker 4 (20:40):
Yeah, I gotta say, with your entrance gear and stuff,
I mean, you're getting like mood a level with some
of that, like the Predator is like a top five
for me. I mean it's just unbelievable. So yeah, kudos,
kudos that.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Well, you know, I know time is of the essence
right now, and we don't have much time left with
you because you got to get ready for your big
match with Brody before we let you go. Anything you
want to say to the fans watching or listening to
this right now.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Check out Revolution man Mark Beeteenth. We're on the road
from the West Coast on right now. We're going into
Revolution to download Hit Different with Me Myself and Rake
Me Myself, Ray Kuan and Mantezi and Rest in Peace
Profit for doing the production on that. He passed away
early this year in January. So the last record we
(21:25):
did together was Hit Different. So and now we were
in the studio of Rakwan and he loved it, you
know from Wu Tang and shout out Wu Tang going
into the hip hop of the actually the rock and
roll Hall.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Of Famers here.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Yeah yeah, so you know, shout out to that great timing.
Like I said, authentically myself authentically likes It's just me,
whether you like it or not, I'm being myself and
you can't never take that away from me.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
So check that out, download, hit different stream that play it.
No matter what, you're
Speaker 1 (21:56):
Pushing the legacy not only myself but Ray Kwan and
Wu tang Matisi and Profit one of the best producers
ever
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