Swerve Strickland Teases His 'Next Evolution' At AEW WrestleDream

Former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland hasn't been seen on TV since his dramatic unsanctioned steel cage loss against "Hangman" Adam Page, but it appears that match's brutality has him leveling up. Strickland is set to make his return to AEW at WrestleDream in his home state of Washington on Saturday, and he's teasing his "next evolution" on "The Rich Eisen Show." Strickland said even AEW President Tony Khan doesn't know what to expect.

"You can always expect my next evolution of me, in any sense, in the subtleties," Strickland said. "Maybe my hair is different. Maybe my look is different ... you'll feel something different in the air. And that's something I always love bringing to the table. You don't know what to expect. And that's the beauty of it. That's the beauty of who I am, and what I do, and what I offer." Strickland also spoke a bit about his relationship with Khan, and said that Khan tells him: "show up to work, here's what you got." Strickland said that Khan knows he can make it happen, and it's something he worked hard to gain, which also required patience.

"That's kind of the imprint I have on the show right now, and I love it. I love it," Strickland said. In Strickland's absence, former WWE star MVP has been inquiring about the former champion to Strickland's manager, Prince Nana. MVP has been handing out business cards bearing the name "The Hurt Syndicate," and introduced fellow AEW-signee Shelton Benjamin to Nana last week. The Hurt Syndicate is a rumored stable of MVP's within AEW, and The Hurt Business in WWE featured MVP, Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley, who is also reportedly signed to AEW.