Swerve Strickland has become one of the most popular characters in AEW since its inception in 2019, and he didn't even sign until 2022. He was a decorated champion even before joining the company, holding gold in numerous promotions like CZW, wXw, DEFY, MLW, "WWE NXT," and many more.In a recent interview with Billboard, Strickland spoke about his career as both a professional wrestler, as well as a rapper and hip-hop artist, both professions where he continues to grow and find new successes. He told the outlet that when future generations look back on his path in wrestling, they'll see his in-ring ability took him the farthest out of anything."Not me being a caricature of hip-hop, and not me being a caricature of a Black wrestler," Strickland said. "I'm being me. My success in pro-wrestling is genuinely because of my ability in the ring. It's not because they're trying to push an agenda, it's because I perform at a really, really high level probably the highest level you could see of a Black wrestler in the history of the game."Strickland said there were a lot of Black talents who became "household names" in wrestling back in the day, such as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Booker T, but you could rarely say they were the best wrestlers on their respective shows. He said that's due to who they had to compete with, like the Shawn Michaels and the Eddie Guerreros of the wrestling world. He, however, feels like he competes at the highest level with anyone in AEW."Me and Okada. Me and Kenny [Omega]. Me and [Will] Ospreay. Me and Hangman [Adam Page]," he said. "I have to be pure and genuinely me as possible and get there because of actual ability rather than just co-signs."
