Chris Jericho proud to have Swerve Strickland as AEW’s ‘team captain’
Chris Jericho is proud to have Swerve Strickland leading the AEW roster right now.
Since April, Strickland has been AEW’s World Champion. He’s successfully retained the belt against Claudio Castagnoli, Christian Cage, Roderick Strong, and Will Ospreay during his reign. Up next for Strickland is a title defense against Bryan Danielson at All In. If Danielson loses, he will retire from in-ring competition.
Jericho was AEW’s first-ever World Champion. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he praised the work Strickland is doing. Jericho said he still can’t believe Strickland was released by WWE in 2021.
“This is only his first time as champ and look what he’s doing. Wait until the second time and the third time and the fourth time. He has star written all over him,” Jericho said.
“I don’t know how you could ever let that guy go. Swerve and MJF are two guys I watch and always think, ‘How did he pull that off?’ Swerve’s still not even at the peak of his character, and he already has this great connection with the crowd.”
Jericho noted that, as champion, Strickland also occupies the role of AEW team captain.
“His persona is larger-than-life, he works extremely hard, and he’s a good f—— person,” Jericho said. “His energy is amazing–the man can tear the house down. Swerve is our team captain right now, and I’m proud to be on that roster.”
All In is taking place from Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday, August 25. Jericho’s match for the pay-per-view hasn’t been announced yet, but AEW looks to be building toward Jericho defending the FTW Championship against Hook.
Jericho is the leader of The Learning Tree in AEW, a faction that includes Big Bill and Bryan Keith.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.