Swerve Strickland has undoubtedly become one of the biggest names in AEW since signing with the company in March 2022, and there are a couple of specific moments during his run in AEW that showed Tony Khan he could be trusted as a talent.
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"Man, I would say if I had to guess one, a lot of people like to pinpoint it in one area but I would say the Battle Royal at Double or Nothing [2023]," Strickland said as he reflected on the "No-Contest Wrestling Podcast.""If it doesn't come down to me and Orange Cassidy, I don't spark the thing with Tony [Khan] being like, 'He made this really amazing. Let's do it again.'"
Strickland revealed that he had heard through word of mouth that Khan was also influenced by his performance in a match against Hiroshi Tanahashi on the June 24, 2023, episode of "AEW Collision."
"We're going back and forth and he's about to hit High Fly Flow, but he slips off and I run up and I start fighting him. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and he knocks me off and he hits High Fly Flow and wins."
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Strickland identified that particular moment in the match as the one that helped Khan realize he could be trusted with anyone in the ring and could do anything asked of him. He pondered the possibility of AEW's relationship with NJPW being different if Tanahashi had sustained an injury, especially with him being named as the president of the company in December.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "No-Contest Wrestling Podcast" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
