AEW Champ Swerve Strickland Likens Will Ospreay Match To Recent Combat Sports Rivalry

The third annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view is on the horizon and it set to be headlined by one of the biggest matches in AEW history, as Swerve Strickland defends the AEW World Championship against the current AEW International Champion Will Ospreay. The Aerial Assassin outlasted a variety of international competitors on the May 29 edition of "AEW Dynamite" to earn his title shot by winning a Casino Gauntlet match, and fans can't decide which way it's going to go on June 30. Strickland was recently a guest on "Busted Open Radio" and was asked by WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray how much more can Ospreay possibly show the fans compared to what they've already seen. Strickland decided to keep his (and Ospreay's) cards close to his chest, but described it as the wrestling version of a very famous combat sports rivalry. 

"That's something you have to watch the match for," Strickland said. "That's something I don't want to put out there to the world. What do I see? I see a lot. It's up to me to hold that in and showcase that at Forbidden Door, that's what we're selling. Right now we have the wrestling version of Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor, that's what I see."

The AEW World Champion might see himself as the Mayweather of the feud, not just because the legendary boxer defeated McGregor in their historic fight in 2017, but also because he is actually very good friends with Mayweather, which was evident by the boxer being at ringside for AEW Double or Nothing to see Strickland retain his title over Christian Cage. Strickland will have one more test before Forbidden Door as he is set to defend his championship against Roderick Strong this Wednesday on "AEW Dynamite."

Please credit "Busted Open Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.