In a night marked by wins in the Continental Classic tournament by the likes of Jon Moxley and Switchblade Jay White, there was one name that continued to not only draw attention from fans, but also mark another victory in the win column. That being Swerve Strickland.
I’ll be honest right up front and say I wasn’t so sure about Swerve Strickland nearly two months ago. Not because of any lacking on Strickland’s part. His athleticism, his swag, and his connection with the fans is something that’s undeniable. No, the reason I wasn’t sure about Swerve Strickland in early October is because he had just come off a monster verbal showdown with Hangman Adam Page, where he not only but the Cowboy in his place metaphorically, but also made the bold claim that if he had been given the opportunities that Hangman had been given, he would be the first black AEW World Champion.
What followed was a great match between the two wrestlers with Swerve backing up his words and coming out as the victor.
Now up until this point you might be asking why I would’ve been bearish on Swerve Strickland if he’d performed in such great outings. The reason was because after that match with Hangman Page, Swerve would next face Bryan Danielson and lose to him.
Let me say first of all that there is no shame in losing to an all-time great and future hall of famer like Bryan Danielson. What caught me off guard was that after such a great showing from Strickland in the previous weeks, he lost to Danielson and the buzz building around him dissipated just a touch. Even though that buzz had faded by only a small measurement, I naively thought Swerve might be another great wrestler who just couldn’t capitalize on the cachet and momentum he had built up for himself.
We’ve all seen it before. A great wrestler bursts on the scene, maybe has an amazing interview or two, and goes on a nice run. Maybe it lasts even six months. But quickly after he’s gained momentum, the wrestler starts to fade to the background. His words to the crowd don’t hit the same notes. His matches in the ring don’t have the same pizazz. And worst of all the wrestler starts losing matches. I feared that after his one match with Bryan Danielson that Swerve Strickland was going to head down that road.
Boy am I glad I was wrong!
I’m not sure if the match with The American Dragon kicked off any weights that might’ve been holding down Strickland, or the loss lit a fire under Swerve that prompted him to come out even stronger and faster against his opponents. Whatever it was, it’s been enough to send Swerve on a six-match winning streak. Not only that, but at the time of this writing, for the Continental Classic tournament, Swerve Strickland is tied for the lead with the most matches in the round-round tournament.
Not only did Strickland have what some consider an all-time great match when he went against Hangman Page at Full Gear in a Texas Death Match, but he’s beaten the likes of Jay Lethal, Penta El Zero, Jay White, and now Mark Briscoe.
In addition to his now six-match winning streak, Swerve Strickland fans are growing. More and more signs are popping up in the audience. Wrestling fans around the country are dancing to Swerve’s theme, including Swerve himself when he attended a Jacksonville Jaguars game.
#bigpressure in @EverBankStadium for the @Jaguars warmup for @NFL_MNF! #mogul pic.twitter.com/IEdz7n7Krm
— The Realest Swerve Strickland (@swerveconfident) December 5, 2023
Next up for Swerve Strickland will possibly be one of his hardest tests in AEW yet when he faces Jon Moxley as part of the Continental Classic tournament. There are still more matches to go after that match with Moxley but should Strickland defeat the Blackpool Combat member, then not only will his winning streak continue, but championship gold could very well be in his future.
If that happens the audience will be calling out “Swerve’s House” while the wrestler wears championship gold.
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