Mark Henry Defends Swerve Strickland’s Monumental Title Win at 2024 AEW Dynasty

Swerve Strickland scratched and clawed his way to dethrone the dominant Samoa Joe and scored a historic victory at Sunday’s AEW Dynasty pay-per-view to become the new World Champion.

With his win, Strickland became the eighth man and the first African American to hold the AEW World Championship and wrestling veteran Mark Henry weighed in on the significance of this achievement on Busted Open Radio.

According to the WWE Hall of Famer, AEW’s belief in Strickland is palpable, emphasizing that while representation of one’s race matters, Swerve Strickland’s success is a testament purely based on his talent and dedication.

As a seasoned multi-time World Champion himself, Mark Henry spoke from a place of deep understanding. He acknowledges the trust AEW has placed in Strickland and the weighty responsibilities that accompany being the face of a major wrestling promotion.

“They didn’t pass up on an opportunity to do the right thing. It’s earned. It wasn’t because he was an African American. It was because he was talented and I feel like that’s a beautiful thing and representation matters and it means everything.”

With Swerve Strickland finally grabbing the AEW brass ring after a hard-fought battle against Samoa Joe at AEW Dynasty, the company has indeed become Swerve’s house with multiple stars on the roster possibly gearing up to step up to him for the AEW World title as Strickland goes from the hunter to the hunted.

What are your thoughts on Mark Henry defending Swerve Strickland’s title win at AEW Dynasty? Sound off in the comments!