Swerve Strickland on AEW WrestleDream Return: Fans Will Experience the “Next Evolution of Me”

Swerve Strickland is set to make his highly anticipated return to AEW programming this Saturday in his hometown of Tacoma at AEW WrestleDream. Strickland has been absent from AEW since his loss to Hangman Page in an unsanctioned steel cage match last month at All Out. During an interview with No-Contest Wrestling, he shared his excitement for his return and hinted at various topics he could address at WrestleDream.

Strickland mentioned the possibility of reflecting on his previous defeats to Bryan Danielson and Page, discussing MVP's attempts to recruit him, clarifying his relationship with Prince Nana, or unveiling details about his new AEW contract and his business ventures.

“There’s just a lot of different things I have on my mind that I can express and go a bunch of different ways,” Strickland said. “This isn’t just like a ‘talking segment.’ No, this is me really conveying like new news. Like me personally, my businesses outside of this. ‘The Mogul’ is not just a name I gave myself, this is truly what I am and who I am. And now we get to see where we go forward and what we address in the now.”

Regardless of his chosen topics, fans can expect to see a fresh evolution of Strickland's character starting at WrestleDream.

“You can always expect my next evolution of me,” Strickland stated. “In any sense, in the subtleties. Like, maybe my hair is different. Maybe my look is different. Maybe you’ll just — something is different. You’ll feel something different in the air. And that’s something I always love bringing to the table. Like, you don’t know what to expect. And that’s the beauty of it. That’s the beauty of who I am, and what I do, and what I offer. Like, even Tony Khan doesn’t know what to expect. He just says, ‘Show up to work and here’s what you got.’ And I’m like, ‘Ok, cool.’ But he knows I can make it happen.”

Strickland has worked hard to establish his unique imprint on the show, emphasizing the importance of patience in his journey. “I took a long time, I was patient. I didn’t rush into it. I was like, ‘Let’s see how the landscape takes course. And I will find my way and adapt into that.’ And then, now, people are anticipating a return of who I am and what I have to bring and what’s different, what’s new, and what old things I’m going to address.”

Strickland previously held the AEW World Championship before losing the title to Danielson at All In 2024. Following MVP’s recent debut in AEW, he pointed fingers at Prince Nana for Strickland’s recent setbacks and expressed a desire to discuss business matters with him. With MVP and Shelton Benjamin now in AEW and Bobby Lashley expected to join them soon, the landscape is evolving rapidly.

The Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, will host WrestleDream, with the main card starting at 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.