Swerve Strickland Defends His New Contract Amid WWE’s “Bad for Business” Allegations

Swerve Strickland has been gaining attention in AEW for his outstanding wrestling abilities and strong presence. Although he recently signed a new deal with AEW, there have been reports indicating that WWE considers his contract a negative for their business. In response to these claims, Strickland has come forward to defend his new contract.

During the Zero Hour pre-show at AEW All In, it was announced that Swerve Strickland had signed a contract extension with AEW. The announcement came during a segment featuring Strickland, Prince Nana, and Tony Khan, where the new deal was formalized.

Strickland’s new multi-year contract is set to keep him with AEW until at least 2028, although the precise length of the deal has not been disclosed. This contract is considered one of the most significant in AEW’s history.

Reports noted that WWE believes Swerve’s high-paying AEW contract is detrimental to the business because it far exceeds what WWE would consider the market value for a wrestler like him.

”Swerve Strickland’s new AEW deal is believed to be among the biggest deals in pro wrestling, and said to be in the same pay range as Kazuchika Okada & Mercedes Moné. WWE feel that Swerve’s new high-paying AEW contract is bad for the business as it is “so far over what WWE would perceive the market value” to be.”

While speaking on The Breakfast Club, Swerve Strickland talks about how people view his contract as being “above market value” in WWE. He compares the struggles of black quarterbacks in the past to his own experience in wrestling. Strickland points out that even though things have improved, many of the same issues still exist.

Strickland feels proud to be in AEW, where he believes they are changing the wrestling industry and standing up for their beliefs. Strickland also recognizes the influence of those who came before him and emphasizes his commitment to being a leader in wrestling.

“I came in, you know, Cass—shout out to Cass—he invited me to the Apollo Theater to watch the unveiling of ‘The Evolution of the Black Quarterback.’ Roger Goodell was there, and I was watching Michael Strahan on stage, along with Michael Vick and Jalen Hurts. They were all discussing the evolution and struggles that black quarterbacks have faced, like how coaches and the league infrastructure often believed that a black man wasn’t capable of playing quarterback because they weren’t ‘smart enough’ to call plays and perform those roles. They also talked about how certain players shouldn’t be paid what they’re worth, as if they were above market value.

As I sat there, I couldn’t help but think about an article I read a month ago about my new contract, one of the highest in wrestling recently, where I was deemed above market value. It’s astounding to me that these conversations are still happening 50 years later. That’s what makes AEW so beautiful, and I’m proud to be part of it because we’re shaking the foundation of the industry just like they did 50 years ago. If I have the chance to be the person doing that alongside Tony Khan, then I’m all in. We stand strong, and I’m proud to say, ‘That’s our world champion, that’s the leader of our company right now, and he will be the face of the franchise for years to come.’ It took a coach in 1970 to do something similar for Doug Williams to win a championship.”

Some still believe that Swerve Strickland should have passed on his new AEW deal and went to WWE instead. Jim Cornette also believes Swerve Strickland’s contract doesn’t reflect his impact on revenue. Regardless, Strickland chose to remain in AEW for the next several years and he is happy with his decision and that’s all that matters to him.

What do you think of what Swerve Strickland had to say in response to WWE viewing his contract as above market value and bad for business? Let us know in the comments section below!

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