The world of professional wrestling was abuzz last month when Swerve Strickland made history by becoming the first African American AEW World Champion.
His victory over Samoa Joe at the Dynasty pay-per-view event marked a significant milestone in his career and cemented his position as one of the biggest stars in pro wrestling today.
However, WWE legend Teddy Long has expressed a differing opinion on how Strickland’s achievement should be recognized.
In a recent episode of Sportskeeda’s The Wrestling Time Machine podcast, Long emphasized that the focus should be on Strickland’s accomplishments rather than his ethnicity.
“Let’s just say the guy is a champion. AEW champion. They know he’s Afro-American and they can look at him. He’s black,”
said Long. This statement has sparked an interesting debate about how we celebrate achievements in sports and beyond.
While it is undeniable that Strickland’s championship win is a historic moment for African Americans in professional wrestling, Long’s point raises an important question: should we not celebrate Strickland’s achievement simply because he is a great wrestler, regardless of his race?
By focusing too much on his ethnicity, are we inadvertently diminishing the significance of his accomplishment?
Strickland himself has shown immense respect for his opponents, including Samoa Joe, whom he praised as a “legend” and a “force of a champion” in a recent backstage interview with Renee Paquette.
This display of humility and admiration for his peers only adds to his credibility as a champion and reinforces Long’s argument that Strickland’s achievement should be celebrated in its own right.
As Strickland continues to defend his title and make waves in professional wrestling, it will be interesting to see how fans and commentators alike choose to recognize his accomplishments.
Will we continue to emphasize his ethnicity, or will we shift our focus to celebrating his skills and achievements as a wrestler? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain – Swerve Strickland is here to stay, and his impact on the world of professional wrestling will be felt for years to come.
