Swerve Strickland: Je’Von Evans is better at 21 than I was at 30
AEW star Swerve Strickland believes it’s hugely important to show support for the next generation of wrestlers that are coming up today.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, the 35-year-old Strickland said it does not bother him at all when people say NXT’s Je’Von Evans is better than he is. It’s supposed to work that way, Strickland feels. Younger wrestlers study the work of those who came before them and build on that to help wrestling evolve.
“I’m always in favor of the next guys. Always,” Strickland said. “Some people, because we do this comparison game, ‘So and so is better than so and so. So and so is better than so and so.’ I’m like, ‘He’s supposed to be. He’s supposed to be.’ That’s how evolution works. You know, it’s not an insult to say, ‘Je’Von Evans is better than Swerve.’ I’m like, yes, he is. At 21 years old, he is better than I was at 30. I have more intangibles, because I’ve learned those things on the indies. He’s in the [WWE NXT] system now at 21.”
Strickland said he knows that he was one of Evans’ influences because Evans has told him so directly. He’s excited to see how Evans continues to grow in his career and which intangibles he adds to his game over the years.
“He’s supposed to be better. That’s because — who is he watching? He was watching myself. He’s told me to my face. He’s watched me and Lio Rush and guys like that. And he took it to the next level, which is what we did,” Strickland said. You know, like, Ricochet watched the same guys. He watched Rey Mysterio and took it to the next level, because that’s what evolution is supposed to be.
“Of course [Evans is] better than me. He’s gonna be [terrifyingly good at 30]. Like, he’s gonna be scary in the next three years. You know what I mean? But the point is, it’s like, I have all these other intangibles that just make me me. I can’t wait to find the intangibles that he finds that makes Je’Von Je’von. I can’t wait for him to find those things, you know? But, like, is he better in-ring? Hell yeah, no sh*t. He’s taller too.”
Strickland feels that, while it’s important for younger talent to take advice, they shouldn’t listen to anyone who is trying to pull the next generation backward. He thinks everyone in wrestling should always want the next group of stars to make more money than their own generation did.
Along with being one of the brightest young prospects in NXT, Evans recently took part in WWE’s Last Time is Now tournament on the main roster, losing a first-round match against Gunther.
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.