I had a conversation a few years
back with one of his coworkers, and it's a thought I've echoed every time I've
seen him- I don't know if I've seen anyone as effortlessly innovative in the style I like since
Chris Kanyon. There's a brilliance to what he does, it's chaotic, but crisp,
it's rigid but seamless. You're watching opposing ideas meet when Swerve's on
offense. The other thing I've been firm on is that WWE had no idea what to do
with the guy. I told the same coworker that once he figures out the character,
he's outta here, he's off to the races. So this fully formed Swerve Strickland,
from wrestling guy to rap crew guy in NXT/WWE, and then wrestling guy with in an
odd couple pairing with the other "Vince didn't get him" Black guy to Art Basel
guy to Mogul guy to now in AEW, we've seen him test a bunch of different things
to get here. But it's the wrestling that was constant, and when the wrestling is
that good, and you've got the guy in charge behind you, it tends to work out.
The diamond fangs, the snarl, the furs, and the juxtaposition of Prince Nana
solidified him as a singular talent. He's simply too different to share space
with a crew, and I don't know if HE knew that. But that progression from turning
on Keith Lee, then having a Rock/Triple IC title-esque feud with Hangman Page
was the affirmation: this is a guy you can build around, this is a guy the crowd
wants, this is someone you can look to to carry the ball. So with all the
positives, from the in-ring work, to being fully fleshed out as a personality,
why is there pushback from a segment of the Black wrestling audience? In a world
where being the "first Black" anything typically comes decades into a company's
existence, AEW's crowned their first Black World Champion less than 6 years in.
That's progress, right? That's to be celebrated, right?
Well, like most things
involving "Black" and "first", it depends on who you ask. The first major
misstep was Swerve's refuting of the Black Rasslin' Podcast's "BRP 50", an
annual list compiled by the crew, celebrating the top Black wrestlers of the
year. Not happy with his placement, Swerve
publicly addressed
wanting to be removed from the list altogether. It caused a divide between man
and media, one that still exists to this day. And I think an unwillingness to
clarify with that crew specifically didn't help public perception. I don't think
anyone's OWED clarity here, but when you present yourself as being above your
supporters and more importantly your peers, it's difficult to garner their
support at your point of success. Then there's the "Black and Ugly" moment,
where Swerve posted a video of himself vibing to a song with the lyrics
describing a woman the rapper (not Swerve, the artist on the song) dealing with
a woman he describes as such. Again, it's a tonal mistake, not some damning
crime, where you'd WANT someone who wants to be celebrated as a pioneer to have
those conversations about mistakes they've made, if they consider them mistakes
at all.
It's difficult to want to be praised in a culture you choose not to
interact with on a grassroots level. It’s wholly unfair, but when you look
across the way at a Kofi Kingston (whom Swerve shouted out immediately, and was
one of the first to celebrate Swerve’s huge win) who was in a similar
world-changing situation, he’s building libraries in Ghana, he’s serving on
boards trying to change the lives of those like him. This could very well be
Swerve’s intention too, but for someone who exists very much in front of the
camera, you can only internalize what you see. Swerve's absolutely media savvy:
He makes music, he has his own podcast, he's had the foresight to bring in
artists and personalities outside of wrestling to stand next to him during his
ascent. And he looks like he belongs in their circles, and that they should want
to exist in his. But it's that separation, that distance from people who could
vouch for him in the way it's presented he'd want. The focus right now should
absolutely be on this fantastic ascent, this wading through years of foggy
presentation and being this fully formed, first of his kind. But when you're
asked to ignore what you've seen for what you should value, it puts you at odds
with those who can't separate their phones screens from their TV screens. Taking
the Kobe trophy pic? Fantastic aesthetic, but Kobe was at the WNBA games, Kobe
was passing his message down to the youth. Coming out as Killmonger? Again,
great look, but are you pushing back against the idea that we should be
insulated, and open up the things we can share (or take) from the world?
It's an
accomplishment to celebrate, it's a moment I wouldn't attempt to take away from
someone that's worked hard and done well to get there. I wrote a book about him
being one of the top wrestlers of 2023, and I stand by that. He’s on a TEAR, and
it’s talent and dedication that got him there. But if it rings hollow to some,
it's a gap in communication that wasn’t deemed necessary to correct, and when
you're first, you also have the responsibility to create a path for who might be
next. And that path should be one you don't have to pave on your own.
