Swerve Strickland: TV time is the biggest difference between WWE, AEW runs

Swerve Strickland praised AEW president Tony Khan in a recent interview.

Strickland told Sports Illustrated recently that Khan has given him TV time with top talent and that is the greatest difference between his runs in WWE and AEW.

“TV time, that’s an investment,” said Strickland. “Tony Khan gave me that. He gave me that with top talent. Top tag team talent. Top managerial talent. Rick Ross. Everywhere, all throughout the show. That’s what everyone wants, and Tony Khan offered that to me. When you don’t get that, it crushes your spirit. I could ask for a minute in a promo, and Tony would give it to me. That means more than people will ever know.”

Strickland also discussed his match against Will Ospreay in the main event of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, calling it “a perfect whirlwind.”

“I’m proud of the story we told in that match,” said Strickland. “It was a perfect whirlwind. It was Will’s first main event pay-per-view in AEW, fans were waiting for it, and people didn’t know who was going to win. Was it Swerve’s time? Or was Will going to keep riding his hot streak and win the title? That’s a match we’ve wanted for a long time, and the timing was right.”

Strickland also said during the interview that he feels being unique and as true to himself as possible has helped him stand out.

“I pay attention to what everybody else is doing, but I don’t focus on it,” said Strickland. “My focus is being as unique and true to me as possible. I have to be true to me. That’s what allows me to stand out in a different way. And you don’t know what’s going to come next. That’s what is helping define my title reign. It feels very genuine, too.

“This feels like the alternative, and that was the whole point in the first place. That’s what this is.”

With the win over Ospreay, Strickland looks to be headed to the main event of AEW All In at Wembley Stadium against the winner of the men’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament. Strickland said that he hopes his headlining the show is meaningful to others.

“There haven’t been too many African Americans to headline pay-per-views like this,” said Strickland. “That’s the biggest stage possible for All Elite Wrestling. It means a lot to me, and I hope it means a lot to a lot of other people.”