Swerve Strickland on New Bulked-Up Physique, Differences in His Presentation in AEW Compared to WWE, Chemistry with Hangman Page, Dream AEW Opponents, Bryan Danielson Saying Their Match at All In 2024 Being His Career Favorite, & More

A recent episode of the Insight with Chris Van Vliet podcast featured Swerve Strickland as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Strickland’s thoughts about his new bulked-up physique that he revealed for his surprise return from injury at AEW’s Full Gear 2025 event.

“I am definitely bigger, and it’s miserable maintaining it. Because there’s times where I’m in bed and I’m like, I gotta get one more something [for calories]. Because Applebee’s is my go-to, at like, 11:45-12, most places are closing down. So I’m just like, let me order just a salmon and asparagus and rice. And it gets there, and I’m like, I don’t even have the energy to use a fork. I’m just picking at it with my hands to my mouth and, in bed, just feeling like [crap].”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about how big he wants to get with his new bulked physique.

“I don’t even know. I didn’t even know I could get to this,” Strickland responded when asked what the goal for his physique is. “So it’s like, honestly, I got to a point where it was like, I didn’t even know I could do this. What more can I do? So that’s the addiction to it. It’s like, what more can I possibly do?”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about the differences in his presentation in AEW compared to his past time in WWE.

“It takes losing the job to really believe it. I also felt like I was too giving, especially when they handed me Hit Row. I felt like Triple H wanted me to be LeBron in the [Miami] Heat, scoring, not passing the ball. That’s why I don’t think we did as well. I think I should have gotten the ball and been the LeBron with the team. Like when he lost it in the finals with the Mavericks, I felt like I should have been like, No, give me the ball. I felt like that was one of those moments. I didn’t take that initiative enough, strongly enough, and have been the franchise guy.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about when he began to feel that way about himself.

“It takes losing the job to really believe it. I also felt like I was too giving, especially when they handed me Hit Row. I felt like Triple H wanted me to be LeBron in the [Miami] Heat, scoring, not passing the ball. That’s why I don’t think we did as well. I think I should have gotten the ball and been the LeBron with the team. Like when he lost it in the finals with the Mavericks, I felt like I should have been like, No, give me the ball. I felt like that was one of those moments. I didn’t take that initiative enough, strongly enough, and have been the franchise guy.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about his great chemistry with Hangman Adam Page in AEW.

“Because we are both sick individuals. The thing is, the chemical romance between us is that we need each other. I think that’s why it works.”

In response to host Van Vliet’s comments about Page had burned down his family home, Strickland responded stating the whole point of their initial rivalry was for him to drag Hangman into a dark place.

“Well, the whole point was I wanted to drag him down to show him that you’re just as bad as I am. And I proved it. It’s like Joker with Batman saying, you’re no better than me. They just glorify you for what you do. Deep down, you’re just as willing, or just as dirty as I am.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about the syringe spot he had with Page during their Lights Out Steel Cage match at AEW All Out 2024 and knowing it would make people feel uneasy.

“It was just something that I don’t think has been seen on American soil, television-wise, in a major promotion like that in a while, because it’s something that’s like, why would you do that? Why would anybody do that? Good, that’s why I’m doing it. That’s the point. If you’re sitting at home, you’re already getting uneasy, which we have so many little, small things that make people uneasy. I knew a syringe would make people feel uneasy. [It went through your cheek] Yeah, all the way through. I think I still have the needle.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about the negative reactions to the spot.

“[People said] “That’s dumb.” “Why would you do that?” Well you’re talking about it, it’s the moment, and I wouldn’t do that with anybody else. Right there, unsanctioned cage with Hangman, like, somebody that, like, I was just already depleted because I got power bombed on a cinder block right before that. So I’m like, it’s just punishment. We’ve already took it so far. He already burned down my house. Where else further do you go with someone that you hate? And it was just like he hates me that much to just do something like that. That came out of his boot, he had that. So that was something he just wanted to just punish me with.” 

Strickland also gave his thoughts about his choices for current dream opponents in AEW.

“Kyle O’Reilly. Man, I’ve been asking for Kyle O’Reilly for so long. We interacted in a battle royal, the two-ring battle royals and stuff. But that was it, and that was when Bobby Fish was still here. Buddy Matthews, rest up, hope he comes back soon, because he’s a beast.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about Bryan Danielson citing their AEW World Championship, Title vs. Career match at All In 2024 being his favorite match all-time in his wrestling career.

“Which always blows my mind to even being considered, even in a top five or 10 or 15 of Bryan Danielson’s matches. After what he did with Will [Ospreay], after what he did with Kenny [Omega], and rest in peace, after what he did it with Bray [Wyatt]. After what he did with so many greats, Orton and Triple H and Batista, then over here, this it blows my mind. But once again, telling moments and making stories and playing the role that I need to play to get the most out of it. I always like to go into any match like, What elements do I have to play with that can make this match not better, but just different from those other great matches that I named, and I had Brie Bella sitting right there with the kids, that was the key element to the match, was the fact that he wanted to wrestle in front of his kids, and he never got to do it. So I was like, I get the honor of being with the guy to face off and take advantage of that. But that’s where the story elements of Swerve the character always uses family against the opponent. I always pick at the heart of the opponent. That’s what took Hangman down, playing with his child. They know the elements of teasing him with that. I beat Darby because of Nick Wayne. I’ve played with that. I played mind games with The Acclaimed with Billy Gunn. Always tug at the heartstrings, which is something that Shawn Michaels told me. So I tug on the heartstrings of Bryan Danielson’s family being there, but Bryan used it as a strength, as his power, and it turned against me. So that’s what actually fired him up and got him to turn it back against me. I’m the only one that’s been able to actually tell and carry that story all the way through that whole year.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about how him not being that “well known” prior to signing with AEW was something that actually worked in his favor.

“Which worked in my favor, because they didn’t have anything to compare me to. A lot of people were like, ‘Who’s that?’ ‘Who’s this?’ On the day that I did the contract signing at Revolution, I was just like, I can take this as a disrespectful way and be bitter about it and feel petty, or I could use this in my favor and be like, okay, they know me, this is a fresh start. Once again, that rock bottom feel, there’s nowhere else to go but up. I’m not having to compare myself or work towards what I did in the past; I felt like that was so tough for a Bryan Danielson, because he was coming from being Daniel Bryan. He’s a Hall of Famer, just that in itself, is a Hall of Famer. So Bryan coming into [AEW], and for people that only know him as being Daniel Bryan to doing what he did as Bryan Danielson in AEW, that’s a whole other Hall of Fame career. Just like 2 to 3 years of him doing what he’s done here in AEW, so I feel like he had huge shoes to fill. Moxley the same way. Moxley reinvented himself three, four times here in AEW. Those guys had it harder than I did, I feel like, because they had this huge reputation. They had the big names when they came in. They’re coming in and already had super successful careers in WWE to like, Oh, I hope he’s better than what we’ve seen there. Or like, Oh, he’s not as good as what we saw over there, they already had the comparison.”

Strickland also gave his thoughts about how it does not bother him when others compare him to WWE NXT talent Je’Von Evans and say that Evans is better than him. Strickland also praised Evans’ skills as an in-ring performer.

“I’m always in favor of the next guys. Always. 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 also gave his thoughts about how he knows he was one of Evans’ influences for his wrestling career because Evans told him so directly.

“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. 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.”