Now chasing the world heavyweight championship in All Elite Wrestling, Stephen “Swerve” Strickland has nice kind in the case of profitable titles. The 6’ 1” man-mountain from Tacoma, WA, is a former NXT North American Champion and AEW Tag Crew Champion, and, if he can take the crown from Samoa Joe on the AEW Dynasty 2024 pay-per-view on Sunday, April 21, this 33-year-old warrior will change into the primary black kingpin within the firm, an achievement that is essential to the inspiring professional wrestler and rapper. M&F sat down with Strickland for a wide-ranging dialog, and we quickly came upon that his army coaching could be a deciding issue within the hotly anticipated heavyweight conflict.
Spending the vast majority of the primary seven years of his life on an American army base in Frankfurt, Germany, the place his father, a sergeant top notch, was stationed, Strickland grew to become enamored with the concept of service. Whereas the household did return to the US, and Strickland picked up a love of dance whereas additionally excelling in soccer, basketball, and observe and area, the younger prodigy quickly adopted in his dad’s footsteps. He entered the US Military Reserve at 17 and after finishing primary coaching, developed himself even additional, present process 22 weeks of Superior Particular person Coaching. Strickland served as a 25U Sign Assist Techniques Specialist for eight years, however the intestinal fortitude required to finish any such coaching would undoubtedly change into a fantastic basis for a profession between the ropes.
“Primarily, it was numerous endurance,” shares Strickland. “It was rucksack marches, going for 9 miles and stuff. That was really actually taxing on the again.” The younger upstart mastered his posture and kind, and was quickly blitzing throughout the sphere. Morning wakeup calls had been 4am, and coaching started 4.30am. “All of that’s mentally exhausting earlier than it even will get to the bodily (train)” he says. “I at all times made certain my energy got here from my core and my thighs.” The soldier-turned-grappler says that deadlifts have at all times been an necessary side of his conditioning. On the peak of his lifting, Strickland explains that he might deadlift 425 kilos (193 kilograms) at a body weight of simply 180 kilos (82 kilograms).
Extremely, Swerve Strickland educated to change into a professional wrestler early into his army profession and was pressured to maintain his matches native to take care of his military reserve commitments. After leaving service and furthering his identify on the impartial wrestling scene, he appeared in Lucha Underground, Main League Wrestling, and numerous different promotions till he signed with WWE in 2019. It was there that he held the NXT North American title for 105 days, however would quickly be launched from the corporate a lot to the frustration of followers and wrestling critics alike. Stronger than ever, the powerhouse tells M&F that round this time, he was hitting deadlifts of 615 kilos (279 kilograms) whereas nonetheless weighing lower than 200 kilos (91 kilograms).
Swerve Strickland Believes in a ‘No Excuses’ Mentality
Thankfully, after the frustration of exiting WWE, Swerve’s spirit stayed the course and he held on to his dream of being a world class professional wrestling famous person. “With out the psychological coaching (within the military), I don’t assume I’d have lasted, or I’d have stop,” he shares. “I don’t assume I’d have had a constant profession in professional wrestling.” The wrestler explains that his army coaching meant that he was additionally capable of keep mentally robust sufficient to sacrifice sleep when his daughter was born, and nonetheless chase his desires, placing within the onerous work required so as to transfer ahead. “You don’t get excuses within the army, so that you don’t get excuses in life,” explains Strickland. “It’s not gonna be truthful, no one’s gonna hand you something, you’ll should work onerous, and you’ll have to dam out numerous negativity, numerous doubt, and push by.”
Put up WWE, Swerve Strickland competed in New Japan Professional-Wrestling in 2022, and signed with All Elite Wrestling that very same yr. Inside months Strickland had earned gold as soon as once more by profitable the AEW tag-team belt alongside Keith Lee, however it could be a brutal Texas Loss of life Match in opposition to “Hangman” Adam Web page that basically put the grappler on the map. A massacre, the matches ruleless barbarity divided viewers, however it was praised with a five-star ranking by the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, and served to point out that Strickland was a person who might maintain his personal in big-time bouts.
“That was the second to go above and past,” he explains of the gutsy efficiency. “It’s that chokehold you wanna have on this business.” The momentum earned throughout that match has helped drive Strickland to his present place as primary contender for the AEW title in opposition to Samoa Joe. However beating Joe at AEW Dynasty 2024 isn’t just about incomes a title for himself, however extra so about turning into AEW’s first black champion and offering some illustration.
“I known as it out on a promo,” says Strickland of voicing that need. “I put consciousness to it, not in a slight to anyone, it wasn’t to get again at somebody, it wasn’t to slight Tony Khan, it wasn’t to slight AEW, or name out a difficulty. No, it was to place out that these are my desires and aspirations, that is my motive, that is what I carry, that is what anyone who’s from a special tradition or a minority in any approach, all of us carry that. I’ve no issues with going out any saying it, as a result of it’s true. Nobody (else) can communicate my very own fact. I need the accountability to hold that on and make my in-print. Shout out to the opposite folks which might be doing it. I acknowledge you too, and I need you to know that I’m supportive of you guys too.
In fact, Swerve Strickland has followers of all colours and creeds. Already considered one of AEW hottest superstars, the No. 1 contender says that he lives by the phrases he as soon as acquired from John Cena when he requested the icon how you can change into among the finest within the recreation. The reply? “One fan at a time,” responded the mentor. AEW Dynasty can be broadcast dwell on April 21, 2024.