Swerve Strickland

[10.0] "Has made himself one of the top guys in AEW through sheer willpower. As someone who has watched him since Lucha Underground, Swerves rise has been something special to see. The feud with Hangman made him, sure, but he has remained top of mind since thanks to excellent feuds and storylines involving Ospreay and the Bucks. Insanely competent in the ring."

[10.0] "From CZW to LU to AEW, Swerve has always been fucking AWESOME, and he's finally getting the recognition he deserves. Not only is he one of the most consistently and thoroughly enjoyable main eventers in any promotion right now, but he was a major player in the best storyline of this decade so far. I might also consider his steel cage match with Hangman the best match of the decade. So yeah, this guy is just incredible and still has plenty more to give."

"Swerve Strickland moves like he hears a second rhythm beneath the match that nobody else has noticed yet. He pauses in places where another wrestler would hurry, then attacks during moments that normally belong to recovery. That timing gives his work an unsettling quality. The danger is not simply that he can move quickly. The danger is that he seems comfortable while everyone else is trying to understand the tempo. His confidence works best when it feels cold rather than theatrical. A small expression after gaining control can communicate more than an extended display of arrogance. At times, the performance becomes so aware of its own coolness that the struggle briefly loses urgency. That is the risk of having such a complete surface. But when the character and structure align, Swerve creates matches that feel like deliberate invasions of another person's space. He does not merely defeat resistance. He makes resistance look badly timed. The final impression is rarely chaos. It is the disturbing realization that he was relaxed because the outcome had already started moving toward him."

[9.0] "Arguably the best wrestler in the world. No holes in his game. Keeps getting better. Great talent all around."

[9.0] "One of the absolute best in the business today, nearly flawless in-ring and he has been since his time in Lucha Underground. His work in WWE/NXT left a lot to be desired, but his AEW run has proved that he was just being under-utilized for years. He's recently put on a lot more muscle which makes his power moves look better, he's a very good high flyer and is smooth as silk in the ring. He's got classics for days notably his match with Danielson at All In. He's an awesome heel and very passable babyface and his very capable of cutting good promos. It is also worthy to note how well of a package him and Prince Nana are together, especially when they're heels. My only nitpick I'll throw towards Swerve is sometimes he comes across a little disingenuous in his promos, and sometimes his delivery will seem off, but it's a small nit-pick, Swerve is one of the best in the business today, no doubt about it, 9/10"

[10.0] "Swerve is easily one of the best wrestlers of the decade, with his latest match he's firmly cemented himself as one of the best in the world alongside the likes of Will Ospreay and Konosuke Takeshita. He complements his 5 star wrestling ability with insane aura. He looks, moves, talks and presents himself like a star. He always looks like a million bucks in and out of the ring. It's been an astounding journey to see him go from Killshot in Lucha Underground where most got their first glimpse of him, to this fully formed version of himself, a bruising powerhouse that compliments that strength with incredible agility and speed. Swerve is a guy that always has the potential to steal the show, like he did with his match against Bandido at DoN '26. His rivalry with Will Ospreay is one of the best rivalries in wrestling history simply from a match quality perspective, I can't wait to see those two battle again and hopefully see Swerve take his rightful place at the top of AEW once again."

[10.0] "Oozing with talent and charisma. One of the best heels currently in his respective company. His rivalry with Adam Page is honestly the best I've seen out of AEW. If anyone deserved to be the first black AEW World Champion it was him 110%."

[9.0] "Swerve has alot of natural charisma and swagger. Great presence and feels like the coolest dude in the room. Pretty good in ring worker and highly athletic. Can cut a great promo, but not consistent at it. Better heel than face, but isn't bad in either role."

[10.0] "Swerve is with out a doubt one of the most complete wrestlers in the world. He can put on some great matches, he's over, he cuts a good promo, and he's very charismatic. He did feel a bit stale at times in 2025 but that hasn't been the case as of lately. I hope he turns heel because he's a great one."

[10.0] "I always find it hilarious when people try pushing the narrative that Swerve isn't a good wrestler to try and justify their hate for him for whatever reasons lmao. You don't need to love someone to acknowledge they are good. Neither does you not liking them for whatever reason make them bad. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and if you dislike the guy for whatever reasons, you do you king. I couldn't care less. But don't push your narrative on everyone. Swerve is simply one of the best wrestlers going today, he jas the accolades and matches to show that, he can be questionable on the mic but have lately been noticably improving and has arguably the best character in modern pro wrestling. He can work hardcore matches (he infact was part of 2 of arguably the top 10 best ever hardcore matches, vs Dante Fox in Lucha Underground and vs Hangman in AEW), he can work single non stipulations matches (once again has arguably the best match ever, atleast imo against Bryan Danielson at All In), can work tag matches (ONCE AGAIN, has a couple of bangers, with my personal favorite being him and Ospreay vs The Young Bucks, imo the best tag match in recent memory for me atleast) and can work other multi man matches aswell with countless examples). He is only 34, can play a incredible face, yet being the perfect heel aswell when prompted (once again watch his match against Bryan Danielson at All In if you need convincing of his effectiveness in playing a heel) has a very good title reign with his AEW World title run behind him, and is only getting better by the day. I expect a couple of more bangers and alot of awesome moments in Swerve's future. He is generational and don't let people who have some bias push their narratives or opinions on you. Check him out yourself and then decide. But I can almost guarantee you will be agreeing with my opinion once you do. 10/10"

[9.0] "Whose house? That is highly one of the most interesting guys to rate, honestly. He was just an common flippy guy at the indies, became a good wrestler at NXT and them he made himself the star he is right now at AEW. That is probably one of the few mistakes the WWE must truly regret, they did not saw the star power on that guy that everyone else did. He was literally hired for AEW and Tony Khan made sure that he would have his special moment to be presented at the Revolution. Anyways, he made a hell of a feud with Hanger, great bouts with most part of the crowd, has one of the most memorable matches of my entire life with Bryan Danielson, and means a lot for me he be the first male black world champion for AEW history. Hopes that gold will be back to him sooner."

[9.0] "Swerve is one of my favourite active wrestlers right now. Sometimes he can be a bit corny with some of the stuff he does in promos, but he's so good in the ring it really doesn't take away from him all that much."

[8.0] "Swerve is good, don't get me wrong, but half of the time he'll either have a good match or a bad match, recently since he's returned, he's had mostly meh matches than good matches. His feud with Adam Page was legendary and one of AEWs best, he's OK on the mic."

[9.0] "Swerve Strickland is so fucking cool. Absolutely outstanding in pretty much every way. I'm honestly glad WWE fumbled him because it means we got his incredible AEW feud with Hangman Page and the absolute apotheosis of Bryan Danielson's career on top of a very high standard of both in-ring work and character work in general. He's endlessly charismatic and looks awesome, especially when he was a heel and was basically a supervillain. He does botch in the ring a bit, especially lately as he's been getting used to packing on more muscle mass, so he's not quite a ten for me, but I can absolutely see him getting that perfect score from me in a couple years if he can keep up the excellent work. Please don't ever separate him from Prince Nana either."

[10.0] "An absolute beast, i missed him a lot in this period and the second he got back you could feel how everything got a whole lot bloodier around AEW, my literal only complain with him is the new theme song that while being a really good song, it isn't as good an entrance as the original one"

[10.0] "When Swerve came into AEW, I was expecting him to have some great feuds in the upper-midcard but this dude proved me wrong and became one of the biggest stars in the entire company. The entire feud with Hangman was just storytelling gold and I loved his run as the AEW Champion too. Cannot wait to see what else he does."

[10.0] "Great wrestler, great mic skills, great look, great rapper. You name it, Swerve can probably do it. He gave us one hell of a title reign in 2024 and one hell of a rivalry with Adam Page, which to this day I still believe is AEW's greatest rivalry of all time. With Prince Nana as a sort of goofy foil to his dangerous character, I enjoy whenever Swerve appears on my screen. I'm hyped to watch him wrestle Josh Alexander live later today in Cardiff!"

[9.0] "Swerve is the definition of a complete package. He is extremely charismatic, he is very good on the mic, and he has a fairly diverse moveset."

[6.0] "While he's undoubtedly a good worker his character work has bordered on cringe over the last year and he's developed some bad habits which really hurt my enjoyment of him. He still occasionally has a great match but i'm definitely lower on him than i was a year ago."

"(9.5) A gorgeous performer who is somehow a throwback and ultra modern. His look is tremendous and versatile. He can get away with a lot that others couldn't. He's earned that. He will also bump his ass off for you. However, he is not gonna baby you - you either keep up or get outclassed. Game for seemingly anything. Seems to love and be loved by his co-workers. It almost seems like he knows he's in his absolute prime right now and he's going to push himself as far as humanly possible. It's cliche to say his feud with Hangman was/is an all-timer but this cliche is well earned. He's just hitting his mid-30's, he's got a lot of time left and it wouldn't surprise me if he finishes his career as a top 100 of all time."

"Don't try to change the subject N***a quick to get roughed in public Last I heard you got cut from Publix Morning news they got the store republic Switch the scene reppin' the Black republic He had a chick but she was acting ugly Had a kid but they were back to thugging Pass the bib but n***a wasn't running (running)"

[9.0] "Swerve really is the complete package, the look, the talk, likeability, unique chant as well as excellent speed, power and athleticism. He's around a 9 for all of in ring talent, charisma and promos. Not much else needed here, If AEW had any sense, he'd be a permanent top guy for a long, long time as he's good enough to carry the company."

[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers still active. He has endless charisma and athleticism. He met his full potential in AEW which is great to see. He's also a quality human being. He's everything you could possibly want in a top star."

[9.0] "He's on the AEW mount rushmore at this point. Swerve has been one of the most compelling and over acts in wrestling for the last 3 years. He works well as both a babyface and heel, he can be sadistic but his character has valid motivations. His feud with hangman is the best of AEW and he's been in many of AEW's best matches of all time. (vs. Hangman Full Gear 2023, vs. Bryan Danielson All In 2024)"

[9.0] "Swerve has so much potential. He has all the tools that a promoter would want in a wrestler: he is a great speaker, his in ring talent is up there, he is able to elicit the reaction he wants from the fans whether be heel or face. His first reign as the AEW World Champion was one of the best championship reigns in AEW history despite it being only four months. That's how good the guy is."

[9.0] "One of AEW's best. I thought he was a standout on Lucha Underground. I thought he was a diamond in the rough in NXT. And I think he's a top star in AEW. Great wrestler, dynamic personality. He's just a hair away from being a 10 rating for me."

[10.0] "Giving him a ten because I gotta support black wrestlers. Onto the real review: Stephon Swerve Strickland is one of the best wrestlers alive today. A fantastic all-rounder, just a great worker in general. His popularity and charisma truly only surpassed by Will Ospreay (whose house btw? ), and is one half of the greatest rivalry in all of wrestling, AEW's first blood feud I was truly invested in. He's simply one of the best today and I need his next World Championship reign to last 365+ days. Don't Swerve when you drive kids."

[10.0] "The face of AEW, the sky is the limit with him and his feud with Adam Page will be one of the greatest ever AEW feuds. He is such a crucial part of the company. He can deliver in the ring and on the mic especially seen with his work with Prince Nana. UPDATE: If him not winning the world title at Dynasty, and the response that goes with that, does not show you how important he is to wrestling right now then I'm not sure what else could possibly show you that."

[10.0] "Use to hate him during his time in NXT. Either as a face or as a heel, I found him incredibly boring. With Hit Row I didn't like him, but at least he was noticeable. I thought his hiring with AEW was a bad idea. Gladly, I was terribly wrong. One of the best wrestlers today, undeniable."

[10.0] "Easily the coolest wrestler alive right now, i can not sing his praises enough. they have to find a way to make this man the world champion of all elite wrestling as soon as humanly possible. you only have one chance to catch lightning in a bottle like this."

[9.0] "He went from a lower mid-carder in WWE to the main event scene with the World Championship in AEW. He has great charisma and awesome on the microphone. Not to mention his in-ring abilities were awesome. He has gone a long way on the indies and it's amazing to see how far he has come over the years."

[10.0] "Swerve è un grandissimo atleta e rientra tra i miei preferiti wrestler in assoluto! Oltre ad avere un ottima gimmick, lo reputo un gran Heel e come lottato ha uno stile molto particolare! é tecnico, acrobatico , atletico ed in AEW sta facendo grandi cose..anche ad NXT lo seguivo molto ed addirittura lo ricordo in Lucha Underground come KILLSHOT !"

[10.0] "Swerve is probably the most recent wrestler to solidify themselves as an undeniable "10" - his catalogue of matches is still being built up, but he's had a few of the most legendary matches of the decade in the 2020's. He's dynamite on the mic, he has great character work, he gets incredible reactions from the crowd, and his matches are worth the price of admission alone."

[10.0] "I'm glad that Swerve Strickland is getting this current push and treatment, it's what he deserves, a fantastic and innovative wrestler who's also a whole package"

[9.0] "WHO'S HOUSE? ! SWERVE HOUSE! From becoming Killshot in Lucha Underground to dancing to Ain't Nobody by Chaka Khan as his entrance to Hit Row to becoming a dominant world champion is an incredible story! He's always betted on himself and elevated his career in the best way possible with an incredible move-set & agility that can utilize in any match or opponent he's against. He's aura demands your attention which shows how much fans & the crowd loves him! His recognition has benefited him allowing opportunities in other promotion notably AEW to fully shine and showcase those ability and will definitely leave a mark on the wrestling landscape!"

[9.0] "Imagine having the character and body of work that Killshot had during Lucha Underground and then you leave all that behind and work from the ground up all the way back up to the top again. Incredible."

[10.0] "If this was a few years ago, I would probably go as low as a 7 or 6. Shane Strickland on the independent scene and in WWE was somebody who really just made me go "oh yeah, that guy." Even when I watched his World Title run in MLW, which was quite good, I never really thought of him as a superstar or main eventer. But then he came to AEW, and I'll admit I was worried and skeptical of him being lost in the shuffle. But Strickland very quickly rose the ranks and for my money, has become the next possible main stream superstar in wrestling. Swerve has just the look and swagger of a main event, main stream superstar known the world over. My money for the best World Championship run in AEW since Moxley's first reign, since both characters really made you feel like the title was the most important things to them. Hopefully now Swerve can continue on his trajectory and keep being a major player for AEW."

[9.0] "Look - 9, In Ring - 8, Mic - 8. I remember being incredibly disappointed when he debuted in AEW. It felt like yet another guy who would be jobbing on rampage in a few months. But Swerve went the extra mile and put in time at the gym and turned himself into a look. And his in ring improved. What I saw as a flashy guy started to have matches that felt like they had good substance as well. He sounds like the most confident guy in the room on the mic and his talking always comes across as genuine, not acting."

[8.0] "Swerve Strickland is immensely talented and his rise to prominence in AEW has truly been something to see. I truly believe WWE dropped the ball on him and AEW did a fantastic job in allowing him to reinvent himself and become one of today's brightest young talents."

[8.0] "Swerve Strickland's rise to prominence over the last year has been so amazing to see because he's been one of my favorites for a long time. He is very talented in-ring, he has a undeniable superstar presence to him, he has a great character and is a great storyteller. He's a solid face, but is so much better as a heel, and he's carried AEW well during his World Championship reign which has been super enjoyable thus far."

[8.0] "He's come a long way and has elevated himself to the point that he's believable as a top of the card heavyweight. While he still has lapses, his moveset is good and he executes it well. He's also pretty fearless and is willing to do insane hardcore things in the ring. On other aspects of his game, I think Swerve is a great example of a guy who has loads of charisma, just watch any entrance from him in AEW, or any indy promotion. The way he carries himself is undeniable. He's a great character and can craft compelling stories, like the one with Adam Page which has been a highlight of AEW. However, I find him to be pretty shit on the mic. I don't feel he means what he says and has trouble in long promo segments. That however goes to show that mic skill isn't the only thing important to charisma and character, because even with those limitations he's gotten over everywhere."

[9.0] "The story of Swerve Strickland is a fascinating one. The man put himself through hell to make it to the level hes in right now. One of the most dangerous and brutal heels AEW has ever seen, Swerve brings an intensity in and out of the ring that is hard to match sometimes. He is the first black AEW world champion and it was well deserved. His run as AEW champ has been one of the best Ive seen so far, and he has done an amazing job as the face of the company. His blood feud with Hangman Adam Page is one of my favorite feuds in the history of AEW, and that says a lot because as of this writing, its still one of the hottest angles in all of wrestling. His match against Ospreay will go down as one of the best matches of his career and one of the best to go down in a AEW ring. Swerve has all the tools to be a top guy in this industry. He has that cool factor. Can hold his own on the mic against the best of them. And most importantly, he can really go in the ring. As his rise continues, I see more accolades and more classic matches on the horizon. Only one question remains: Whos House? SWERVEs HOUSE."

[9.0] "The best thing that happened to Swerve was being released from WWE. He got the chance to show the world just how good he is, and what it is he can bring to the table when given the ball. I've been a fan of his since Lucha Underground, since then I have followed his career. Seeing him get the love he is now is stuff that really brings a smile to my face."

[9.0] "Swerve is a top athlete: Charismatic, good at microphone, great in ring, decent look, fantastic theme. I didn't watch his work in WWE cause I stopped in 2020 and his prime period in AEW was acceptable but nothing more. Now I must give Tony the honor of believing in Swerve and developping a vision of him as future champion. Since last year I've never expected he's gonna be world champion; the harsh rivalry against Hangman was the springboard of his run to the top. Their first match is one of my favourite of 2023."

[10.0] "Swerve Strickland is one of the most talented wrestlers in the world today. Great high flyer, and he's good at technical wrestling. He has that aura of a great wrestler. He's great on the mic too, full package."

[10.0] "Swerve has risen over the years from a guy to a super impressive hand to a main eventer to now a World champion with AEW. He as become probably the coolest wrestler in the world. When I saw him live we went to a Buc-ees after the show there were mobs of people yelling WHOSE HOUSE SWERVES HOUSE across the store. He really has amazing star power and proves that AEW is where the best wrestle. All eyes are on Swerve at Wembley."

[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers in the world at the moment. Someone with all the tools and an incredible amount of ability who is constantly improving."

[10.0] "Swerve saved his career by breaking away from Hit Row and plying his trade in AEW. In no time at all, he defeated big names and made a beeline straight for the top guy in Samoa Joe and then won the World Title, and just recently proved that he's the true owner of the House against Killswitch on Dynamite. Now, he's the biggest star on the roster and fans want to see him more and more. In Hit Row, he was the background hype man, but in AEW, he's the main attraction. I can't wait to see how much better he gets."

[10.0] "Swerve is a very athletic and highly skilled wrestler. He is very exciting to watch and can make brutal spots look effortless. I wouldn't fault him for how he's being booked in AEW because it's not his fault, but he delivers in the ring. On top of that, he can actually shoot a promo."

[8.0] "Swerve is the real deal, the guy is amazing, he can work as a face and as a heel, is very good on the microphone and at building storylines, and it's very versatile too when it comes to the squared circle, he's a guy with hardcore roots, but could easily fit into the television model. Swerve was the only thing good about Hit Row, after he left the stable collapsed and became one of the worst things ever, and now he's a deserving main eventer in AEW, their first black world champion, with all the merits."