Swerve Strickland Reveals the One AEW Win He ‘Needs to Get Back’ After Forbidden Door

On the way to Forbidden Door 2024Swerve Strickland had perhaps the toughest task of his professional wrestling career in a one-on-one match with the undefeated AEW International Champion, Will Ospreay.

If he wins the match, Strickland will remain the AEW World Champion and retain all the benefits that come with it, from guaranteed TV time to a guaranteed spot at the top of Wembley Stadium. Everything in card, a match Ospreay wants to wrestle in more than anything.

And if he lost? Well, Strickland would have to watch his buddy the “Billy Goat” live out his dream, all the while going down in history as one of the shortest AEW World Champion reigns of all time, behind only Jon Moxley (2) and CM Punk (1 and 2).

Thankfully, Strickland emerged victorious, proving that he was willing to go above and beyond his challenger to secure the gold at the end of the night, and he went into the post-show media scrum with the belt still around his waist and a whole world of potential challengers looking to face him in the main event at Wembley. But who would Strickland want to wrestle in AEW’s biggest main event of the year later this summer? Well, reporters did their best to find that answer after Forbidden doorand Strickland revealed that there’s one artist who’s right at the top of his very small list of desired enemies: Bryan Danielson.

“I think he’s in a position to fight for me now, especially after tonight, but I still want that win back so bad; that’s something that still bothers me to this day, that loss to Bryan,” Swerve Strickland told reporters at the Forbidden door media scrum.

“Because he’s someone I idolize and look up to, especially being from the Pacific Northwest. We both share a Seattle, Tacoma native background and through his career over the last 10, 15 years I’ve watched and studied that man. And when I’m in the ring with him, I feel how special he is? That’s a win I have to cross off my list, and I don’t really have a long list; it’s very small. But Bryan Danielson is definitely at the top.”

Now, for fans who don’t know, Strickland has wrestled the “American Dragon” in AEW before, losing a number one contender’s match to the TNT Championship contender in Independence, Missouri last October en route to a title match with Christian Cage at Crash that ultimately went the “Patriarch” way. With only a limited number of matches left in Danielson’s full-time career, it’s safe to say that Strickland will do his utmost to somehow get the BBC member a fight for the AEW World Championship, they it in the main event of Everything in or as the main event of WrestlingDream in Tacoma this fall in what could be the swan song of the “American Dragon.”

Swerve Strickland is ready to take on his next big challenge: AEW.

Elsewhere during the Forbidden door media scrum, Swerve Strickland was asked to reflect on his main event match against Will Ospreay and how he plans to approach the challenges that await him in AEW.

While Strickland loves Ospreay and is proud of their match, he is also ready for what AEW has to offer him next time as he is sure someone will root for him. Everything inmaybe even this week Dynamite.

“It’s humbling, but at the same time it’s like I’m proving to everyone that I was right again. It’s one of those things that I have to constantly go out there and fight for every day. This guy (Tony Khan) once said, when you’re in AEW, you’re always fighting, you’re always defending. And I deal with that so much because I’ve been doing this my whole career. People think I’m good up to a certain level, or the expectations for me always get lower and lower until I break through, and they have to create a new ceiling,” Swerve Strickland told reporters, via 411 Mania.

“And so, I think Will and I had a chip on our shoulder to continually prove why this place is special. And we are so competitive in every aspect of this game. And that’s why I’ve always respected him; I still respected him until the match. I have my methods, I get into people’s heads. And that’s kind of like my boxer mentality: I want to get inside your head, and I’ll poke at every part of you until I get you where I need you. And that gave me the victory tonight. But I certainly feel like I’ve silenced a lot of critics. And I will have to do more, because there will be more questions. Probably tomorrow, and then on Wednesday by Dynamite, and by All In at Wembley.

With the Owen Hart Cup guaranteeing someone a title shot in the main event for the AEW Championship, Everything in in August, it’s safe to say that someone will be challenging for Strickland’s World Championship at the promotion’s next Pay-Per-View. But with nearly two months to build toward Everything in If anyone has yet to go, don’t be surprised if someone else tries to steal their belt. After all, there’s still plenty of time to settle a mini-feud before the big event in England.