This AEW Top Guy Says WWE Crossover More Likely Than It's Ever Been

AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland worked under WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque for a number of years in "WWE NXT" as Isaiah "Swerve" Scott, making the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion uniquely suited to comment on the current rivalry between Levesque's WWE and Tony Khan's AEW. That's what makes it interesting that, in a new interview with "Bootleg Kev," Strickland said that the once-verboten idea of WWE working with an outside promotion is looking slightly more likely.

"If there's ever a time it could happen, now is more likely than it's ever been," Strickland said. " I don't think [Paul Levesque or Tony Khan are] opposed. I don't think there's a time that's ever been more likely than now." While Strickland appeared optimistic, he clarified that's only due to the previously impossible nature of the task of WWE cooperating with a competing promotion.

"The percentage went from 0.04 to 2.4," Strickland said.

Strickland worked for WWE from 2019 until 2021, mainly wrestling in "WWE NXT" as the leader of the Hit Row faction, before signing with AEW in early 2022. WWE, meanwhile, is currently in something of a working relationship with TNA Wrestling, as TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace appeared in this year's Women's Royal Rumble and will challenge NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez at the upcoming NXT Battleground Premium Live Event, appearing on last week's "NXT" with her title on her shoulder; she also wore the title to the ring for her WWE debut in the women's Royal Rumble match in January, two years after former Knockouts Champion Mickie James appeared in the 2022 women's Rumble with the same belt.