Is Swerve Strickland’s Star potential Flying Under The Radar?

As Swerve and Page stared down the backtracking Joe, a precursor for what is likely to be a triple match threat at the upcoming Revolution show, fans inside the North Charleston Coliseum made it clear that Swerve is their preferred choice and now is surely the time for Tony Khan to pull the trigger.

Swerve’s rise has been met with many challenges. Stop-start booking has hindered the well-traveled young veteran so far, but that all changed last year when it was decided that Page would be the final stop on Swerve’s ascension to the main event scene.

A feud built on Swerve aiming to bring the best out of Hangman, who had gone quiet in recent months, instead made the 33-year-old reach inside and deliver performances that had not yet been seen during his lengthy career.

The debut of Adam Copeland overshadowed their near-perfect clinic at Wrestledream in October, but nothing was stepping in their way at Full Gear just a few weeks later.

A stunning Texas Death match saw both men push the other to the limit, and despite enduring a disastrous start to the match, which included drinking his blood, a manic Strickland took the victory when he forced Page to pass out after hanging him from the turnbuckle with a chain.

After 30 breathtaking minutes, Swerve was the talk of professional wrestling.

Further strong showings in the Continental Classic served the purpose of showing Swerve’s flexibility when dealing with numerous types of opponents, but whilst this concept was ideal for someone like Eddie Kingston, Swerve felt worthy of something bigger, and that is the AEW crown.

Revolution is just over a month away, and Khan has a mammoth decision to make if he hasn’t already made it. Does Swerve Strickland become the AEW champion on this PPV? The time is right, the stars have aligned, and in Joe and Page, he has two rivals who are capable of making him look like millions of dollars in front of a massive audience that will also be in attendance to see Sting’s final match.

Or does Khan play a longer game and bank on an inevitable face turn for Swerve and provide him with a chase similar to Steve Austin’s rise in 1997 and the following year? The Texas Rattlesnake was championship material the moment he refused to wilt to Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13, but it wasn’t until the following WrestleMania that he became champion following an almighty pursuit of Shawn Michaels that took in feuds against Vince McMahon, The Rock, and Mike Tyson.

As it stands, Tony Khan could do with a new hero, and Swerve should be that man. MJF, Adam Cole, and Kenny Omega are all recovering from injuries, and CM Punk is looking to prosper back in WWE. Sometimes circumstances can force bookers to look for a temporary fix, but Swerve, armed with a ton of charisma, an over manager, an electric theme, and the ability to do it all, can be more than that.

The aforementioned names have all got to come back, and with Will Ospreay set to join AEW in the coming weeks, Swerve won’t be short of challengers for the top spot in AEW if or when he becomes champion. The construction of Swerve’s house thus far has been a wonderful process. In the role of the AEW ruler, the opportunities to expand that property are endless, and Revolution is the ideal time for further renovation work to take place.