Swerve Strickland Makes History Winning the AEW World Championship

It was a heck of a match between these two rivals. As stated on the Full Press Wrestling Podcast, there was a good chance a new world champion would be crowned at the PPV, and there was. The build to this match was sensational, from the contract signing to the go-home show of Dynamite, where Swerve did the Swerve Stomp onto the security guards.

This was Swerve’s second chance at the title. He fell short in an epic triple-threat match at Revolution. That time, however, Hangman Adam Page cost him the game. But it has been two years since Swerve Strickland debuted in AEW, and he finally reached the mountaintop.

His momentum was rising with the Mogul Embassy and the help of Prince Nana doing the Swerve Dance. However, nobody could doubt Strickland’s in-ring work. Swerve showed he could put on killer match after killer match. There was no stopping. He even got to step up to the big time and go toe-to-toe with MJF before he lost the title and went off TV due to injury.

As far as this match, Joe and Swerve have great chemistry. Even though they were drained from the Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson match, the crowd was hot for this one. Not to mention the Ladder match for the AEW World Tag Team Titles. But Joe and Strickland put on an excellent show to close another epic show.

Strickland played the role of the babyface getting beat up by the monster heel. That is why Joe was so good as a champion. He was the dominant champion. You can go back to him at any time. This was great storytelling. Take enough of a beating before mounting a comeback.

Strickland was able to counter Joe’s signature maneuvers as the match progressed. However, Strickland still had enough heel in him to try to steal the title away from Samoa Joe. Swerve tried to hit the champion with the title belt, but the referee was distracted by Prince Nana. However, Joe got the Coquina Clutch on Strickland, which almost cost him the title again.

After kicking out of an Avalanche Muscle Buster earlier in the match, with the champ getting his shoulder up after the first Swerve Stomp, Joe went for a top-rope Muscle Buster. Still, Strickland countered the move into a powerbomb, setting up the final Swerve Stomp to get the pin and become the New AEW World Champion.

What a moment for Strickland, who stated he would accomplish this feat dressed in Black Panther attire and theme.