A historic moment unfolded at Dynasty on April 21 as Swerve Strickland clinched the title of AEW’s first Black World Champion.
Facing off against Samoa Joe in the main event, Strickland secured the gold, marking what many fans herald as the inception of a new era in AEW.
Strickland has been vocal about his aspiration to become the inaugural Black AEW World Champion, aiming to demonstrate that one can accomplish anything regardless of skin color.
During the AEW Dynasty post-show media scrum, Strickland cited WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston’s victory at WrestleMania 35 as a driving force that kept him inspired.
“In the last five years, [that] was probably one of the most significant, inspirational things you’ve ever seen, not just in Black history but wrestling history, period,” Strickland remarked.
“That’s motivating, that’s inspiring, and that makes me want to, like—I want to do that for the next generation. I don’t want to just do it once; I want to do it multiple times.
The fact that I was able to somewhat try to recreate a feeling like that in just a small amount of time, not like 20 years later, not 15, 30, 40 years later, but like that close in time, that’s progress in my opinion.”
The newly crowned AEW World Champion attributed his success to those close to him, emphasizing their role in keeping him focused on his ultimate objective.
He also expressed gratitude to AEW President Tony Khan for entrusting him and providing numerous opportunities, both significant and minor.
