Swerve Strickland: "I'm a New Face of Villainy" in AEW

Swerve Strickland has arrived. The former NXT North American Champion joined All Elite Wrestling back in March 2022, signing his contract at AEW Revolution. His first couple of months saw him form an impromptu tag team with Keith Lee, a partnership that led to the duo capturing the AEW World Tag Team Championships that summer. After losing the straps and going their separate ways, Swerve began fronting Mogul Affiliates, a new faction that initially struggled to find its footing. Upon merging with Ring of Honor's The Embassy, the new-look Mogul Embassy began to gain momentum with Swerve firmly in the driver's seat.

That momentum is currently at a fever pitch thanks to Swerve's rivalry with "Hangman" Adam Page. Swerve began targeting Hangman in the lead up to AEW WrestleDream, taking exception with what he perceived to be the former AEW World Champion's recent complacency. While he secured a pinfall victory over Hangman at that pay-per-view, Swerve's career-defining victory was this past weekend when he defeated Hangman in what many are calling the greatest death match of all time at AEW Full Gear.

Swerve Strickland Embraces His Villainous Role

The Mogul is all about being the bad guy.

Swerve Strickland is no stranger to playing a heel inside the squared circle, but his recent run has revved up the sinister to a new level. Speaking to ComicBook.com, Swerve says he only sees himself and AEW TNT Champion Christian Cage as the ones embracing the evil.

"For the guys in our position that are like me, competing in that realm, is just myself and Christian," Swerve said. "That's another legend that's been doing this for 30 years. I'm in a really good spot right now. Once again, I say I'm a new face of that role of villain, that face of evil in a sense. You don't really see guys that look like me in that position rank that high, and especially in this industry, it's very unique."

Swerve's persona is not the only thing that has evolved. The former AEW Tag Team Champion has noticeably bulked up in 2023, which was a calculated change he made this past spring.

"I went with a personal trainer of mine that I really just stumbled upon, just mutual friends of ours in the gym, and I told him my target weight. He was like, 'Oh man, I can get you there in six months.' Sure enough, he got me there within three," Swerve said. "It was literally thousands of reps. It was exhausting. It was strenuous. 

"It got to a point where I'm now able to bench 315 pounds, and I've never been able to get over 200. It was just constant work, getting to the gym where I didn't want to. It was just a lot of sacrifice and moving my time around and knowing how much I wanted to dedicate to my physique, and to my personal trainer who I don't want to let down. I went from 199 pounds in March, which was Revolution to Double or Nothing, I was 225."

AEW returns to television this Wednesday with AEW Dynamite on TBS at 8 PM ET.