WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry discusses Swerve Strickland becoming AEW’s first African-American World Champion.
Speaking on Busted Open, Mark Henry shared his thoughts on Swerve Strickland’s victory at AEW Dynasty.
“I sent out a message last night on one of the chats to congratulations to Swerve, welcome to the championship club,” Mark Henry said. “To be a champion in pro wrestling and have a company back you and believe in you enough that you’re gonna get the job done, is big. I mean, you are the guy that’s carrying the torch. Just like the light was on Moxley and the light was on Danielson and the light was on Joe, now the light is gonna be shined on Swerve.
“Just like Cody finishing his story, now that Swerve has got to the mountaintop, what’s next? How do you keep it hot? What are you gonna do that’s gonna cement your legacy in your reign as the champion? I’m really proud of him, and I’m really excited to see where he’s gonna take this.”
Swerve Strickland Became AEW’s First African-American World Champion
Mark Henry was also asked to comment on Swerve Strickland becoming AEW’s first African-American World Champion.
“Cream rises to the top. There have been some very good African-American talent coming through AEW so far,” Mark Henry said. “But nobody I can say as balanced as Swerve. He’s succeeded as a heel, he’s succeeded as a babyface. Everybody he worked with came out better, and he is durable. The fans give a damn. AEW didn’t miss it. They didn’t pass up on an opportunity to do the right thing. It’s earned. It wasn’t because he was an African-American.
“It was because he was talented, and being an African-American and coming from a culture where there was not a lot of diversity in sports, as it wasn’t when I was a little boy, and there were three black wrestlers in the world at that time that I got to see on TV. Now there’s hundreds, and I feel like that’s a beautiful thing, and representation matters, and it means everything. I think that Tony and the rest of the company is gonna see that it’s gonna pay dividends. They’re gonna bring in a new audience too.”
More must-reads: